


a diamond in the rough

by thehaakun



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Assassin AU, F/F, light comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2020-11-26 17:24:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 53,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20933939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehaakun/pseuds/thehaakun
Summary: Byleth spoke first, lowering her head, almost as if in respect. “Your Majesty,” she said.Edelgard raised her eyebrows. “You address me so, yet were willing to murder me just a day ago.”---[F!Byleth/Edelgard] A hired assassin fails to kill her mark; but her mark has other ideas in mind.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kind of a light-comedy AU LOL I just imagined an assassin au where Byleth's hired to kill Edelgard but fails and Edelgard is like HMMM :THINKING: SHE'S...KIND OF A GOOD ASSASSIN LOL...WHAT IF ...
> 
> and this is a slight AU of the game, I took the liberties of dropping some small world-building (that I probably didn't need to lol) but this is set some years after the RGB trio graduate garreg mach lol  
it was fun writing this though! i miss writing and i haven't written in a while so I wouldn't call this my sunday best but it's nice to put it out there ^_^

“So? Who is she?” Edelgard asked, Hubert at her side as the two briskly strolled down the palace halls. She held a hand out, and Hubert deftly placed a scroll in her palm. Attending to a prisoner wasn’t something she did everyday in her daily schedule as Emperor of the Empire, but this specific one merited her time.

“Byleth Eisner is her name,” Hubert said as they turned a corner, and the setting sun in the distance painted his pale face with a red glow. “My network tells me she’s a freelance assassin, mercenary, and occasional thief. Frustratingly,” and he scowled, “There is not much more I can learn about her. As an assassin, it makes sense that she’d keep her own tracks covered, but as your spymaster, it’s made my role quite difficult.”

Edelgard unfurled the scroll in her hands, quickly skimming Hubert’s report. As he’d said, the report was rather bare compared to Hubert’s other dossiers on Edelgard’s enemies. She read his meticulous notes with narrowed eyes; there’d been a record of a man with the last name of Eisner who’d been a captain of the guard for the Church of Seiros, but that had been over forty years ago. Looking at Hubert’s hypotheses, she saw the captain had disappeared one year, and had never been heard from again. No doubt somewhere along the way he’d had a child -- and that’d been Byleth. Then the two of them must’ve been off-the-grid...until now.

“Did she tell you anything about who sent her?” Edelgard asked, and Hubert dutifully opened a door that led to a spiral staircase. A bitter taste on her tongue, Edelgard tried not to remember the numerous other times she’d been forced down the hell down below.

At least this time, she was going of her own free will. 

Hubert paused to close the door behind them, lighting a flame in the palm of his hand and snapping his other to light the torches along the walls, bathing the two of them in sharpened shadows and flickering light.

As the two descended, Hubert said, “No, she hasn’t. She told me her name, and that was all. The rest of my, ah, techniques didn’t...inspire her to answer.”

“I see.” Edelgard didn’t wish to know what else Hubert had tried. As long as the assassin was alive and in a good enough state of mind she could accept Hubert’s less...moral ways of gathering information.

She needed Byleth in one piece, for what she had in mind.

As they kept going further and further underground, the air turned chill, and goosebumps went up Edelgard’s arms, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. The palace dungeons were impregnable and inescapable, and its security had been tightened tenfold with a whole troop of guards stationed there. Edelgard was certain that someone as skilled as Byleth couldn’t possibly make a break for it.

She knew Byleth’s skills all too well.

It’d only been by a stroke of sheer, dumb luck she’d survived meeting Byleth.

It’d been the one, and only time, that Edelgard had been thankful for a nightmare.

\---

She’d been asleep.

Edelgard disliked sleeping, solely for the fact she was vulnerable, open, and unconsciousness tended to take her mind to places she didn’t want to be.

But like all humans, she’d been asleep that night.

The Emperor’s room in the palace was meant to be the most secure room in the entire castle. Guards at the door, no windows, even the secret passageway behind the bookcase required a code to crack open. At the time, it was impossible to fathom someone could assassinate the Emperor in her sleep.

Yet…

When Edelgard had been jerked awake by another vicious nightmare that had her heart pounding, sweat drenching her nightdress, she’d opened her eyes to  _ someone _ staring right at her, standing at her bedside.

Someone with vivid, unnerving blue eyes that somehow even glowed in the dimness.

Vestiges of her nightmare at the edges of her vision, Edelgard had then realized that the cool blade just an inch from her throat was  _ real _ and  _ not _ an illusion.

Everything from that second on had been pure, instant, reflex.

The assassin moved fast, but not as fast as an adrenaline-fueled Edelgard; with a vice like grip, Edelgard jerked a hand up and held fast onto the assassin’s wrist, digging her nails hard into her attacker’s skin, restraining the lethal knife held so close to her throat. Naturally, the assassin tried to pull away, her eyes widening just the barest fraction -- but Edelgard ripped her own knife from underneath her pillow and thrust it out, hard.

It startled her attacker, and she’d jerked away, attempting to put more distance between herself and Edelgard.

Even so, Edelgard didn’t let go of the assassin’s wrist, even after the other woman had shoved away from the bed, dragging Edelgard off of it. The two of them became locked in a fight, each with one arm; Edelgard, practicing her martial arts techniques by attempting to jab her knife at her opponent’s vital spots, while her attacker deflected or parried her hand and arm away.

She was good, far, far too good, Edelgard realized, beads of strain on her forehead. They were locked in a stalemate now, but at any second if she let go of the assassin’s wrist, she’d be dead in a second.

Hubert had given her a talisman, once. One that she could use to summon him to her whenever there was an emergency.

It’d been a simple pendant at her bedside nightstand, and Edelgard paused for just a second in her attacks -- she saw the assassin’s eyes widen in surprise -- before she stabbed her knife into the pendant, shattering it into pieces.

With a burst of light, Hubert had appeared in the center of the bedroom, staggering in his own bedrobe and thoroughly haggard from being awoken in such a violent fashion -- but he took in the situation with his wide, golden eyes in just a second.

It didn’t take long after that to subdue the assassin. With Hubert’s combined magic and Edelgard’s righteous strength, they’d knocked her out.

After tying up the attacker, Edelgard and Hubert had realized that the set of five guards stationed outside the door were all dead, their throats swiftly cut. There hadn’t even been a sign of a struggle, and that had made Edelgard feel a shiver down her back. Hubert used a degree of magic to find recent afterimages of fingerprints on a nearby window, but the two of them had gone breathless when they’d realized just how the attacker had gotten into the building.

She’d climbed up ten flights of the stone castle, crawled in through the window, and used either darkness or well aimed daggers to kill the guards, before going and killing every other guard patrolling the floor. Edelgard and Hubert found the rest of the bodies hidden in closets, shoved into stairways.

Whoever the assassin was, she was good. Far, far too good.

As Hubert went about ordering the clean up crew to pick up after the bodies, Edelgard made sure a new set of guards carried the unconscious assassin to the dungeons. After making her orders clear that she wasn’t to be killed in anyway, Edelgard retired to her study to think.

She held a hand close to her throat, feeling the ghost of a blade at her skin.

Figuring out who wanted her dead was the simple part. She had dozens of enemies. Figuring out who could hire such an exemplary assassin was another thing.

That night, Edelgard stayed up, tossing documents and scrolls and papers and maps onto her desk. No doubt, it was another royal, but it had to be someone with...power.

A king? Edelgard went through the leaders she knew of in her mind.

Though she knew King Claude of Almyra well, and she didn’t doubt he could resort to assasination, she couldn’t picture a discreet, silent assassin as part of his  _ modus operandi. _ They’d had their disagreements over trade before between the Empire and the Alliance -- and further, Almyra, but she couldn’t picture him resorting to assassination to eliminate her. If he’d wanted her dead, Claude would’ve gone about it in a different way. He was out of the question.

King Dimitri was completely out as an option. Her step-brother was just to a fault; slitting throats in the night was fully against who he was as a person, especially after his past. They too had had their disagreements and bickerings back at the Academy, but their countries had never had reason to send assassins after one another. Maybe some of the royalty of Faerghus, but Edelgard doubted they had that kind of reach.

Queen Petra of Brigid was also out of the question. They were fast friends, from their time at the Academy, and Brigid had had its independence established five years ago. No, it was some other leader with enormous power...

With a shiver, Edelgard thought of her childhood... _ Those _ people. If they’d wanted her dead they wouldn’t even need to be in the same room as her. And they didn’t want her dead yet anyway...And she didn’t want their enmity for now, too. They would be useful in the future--

Then a shiver went down her spine. Edelgard held her breath, leaning over her map as she looked at the dead center of Fodlan.

Garreg Mach.

Had...had that  _ woman _ found...found out? About her plans?

Edelgard would find out the next day.

\---

“Child of the captain of the Knights of Seiros,” Edelgard said under her breath, handing Hubert’s report back to him. “That...raises many questions.”

“My thoughts exactly, Your Majesty.” 

They finished descending the stairs, reaching the common room full of guards standing tall, backs ramrod straight as they saluted her.

“At ease,” Edelgard said, her voice echoing among the cold stones. She tried not remember other sounds she’d heard in this damned place. “The prisoner?”

The captain of the guard stepped forward, clapping a fist to her chest. “Right this way, Your Majesty.”

Their boots and armor clacked and clinked as they walked through the dungeons, down a hallway lined with cells. Gritting her teeth, Edelgard bunched her hand into a fist as they went further, the air becoming far, far colder and heavier, in a way that made shivers run down her spine. She’d personally asked Byleth to be put in the most secure cell they had, but it’d also been the one they’d used on her so long ago. Going back to it made her stomach wrench, but she had no choice.

When they came upon the last, and final cell, Edelgard saw a woman kneeling on the ground, bare for nothing but a ragged shirt and dirty shorts, her tangled indigo hair framing her face as she stared at the floor. Hubert had put manacles at her wrists, binding Byleth’s hands behind her back, and shackles at her feet forced her to kneel, along with a chained collar at her neck that was itself bound to the floor. She was cuffed in every way; impossible for even the most slippery of thieves to escape from.

Scars riddled her arms and legs, and fresh wounds were on her face and other parts of her too, from where the shackles had chafed against her bare skin.

Edelgard cleared her throat, and at that, Byleth looked up.

“Hubert. Captain. You’re dismissed.”

The two of them bowed with respect before leaving, their footsteps echoing and becoming faint as they went further away.

For a long time, the two of them simply stared at each other. Edelgard, moreso to judge her opponent; but instead she saw strangely... _ nothing. _ There was a curious blankness to Byleth’s gaze, and despite all her wounds, she looked...unfazed. Even behind bars, even chained to the ground and the walls, even completely restrained and subdued...Byleth didn’t appear like a prisoner at all.

And Byleth spoke first, lowering her head, almost as if in respect. “Your Majesty,” she said.

Edelgard raised her eyebrows. “You address me so, yet were willing to murder me just a day ago.”

“I give respect where it is due. That it is all.”

“Even to enemies?”

At that, Byleth went silent. She shifted on the floor, her knees slightly red from how long she’d been kneeling. After a long moment, she said slowly, “I did not say you were my enemy.”

“Really, now.” Disbelief came clear in Edelgard’s voice. “You-”

“Almost murdered you, yes,” Byleth said, in far too normal a tone. “But I do not consider you my enemy.”

“Then who are your enemies?”

“People who want me dead.”

“You don’t think I want you dead?”

“If you’d wanted me dead, Your Majesty, then we both know your spymaster would’ve killed me hours ago.” Byleth gave what little of a shrug she could. “At this current moment, I can only say that you do not want me dead.”

Crossing her arms, Edelgard considered her opponent...If she could even call Byleth that. What a strange, peculiar assassin. Her logic made sense, to a point...and if Edelgard’s suspicions were correct, then she had to admit that perhaps Byleth herself had no personal vendetta against the Emperor at all. Whoever hired her, though…

“Who hired you?” Edelgard asked, blunt. Hubert had, of course, asked this question as well but to no avail. Perhaps it’d work if she were the one to personally ask.

Byleth paused, almost as if she were thinking on her answer. “If I answer your questions, may I ask that you not kill me?”

Again, that bizarre politeness coming from someone who’d tried to murder her. 

“You wouldn’t answer my spymaster’s questions when he was putting you under duress, yet you’ll answer mine by asking of me  _ that _ kind of request?” Edelgard asked. Nothing about this woman made any sense. The absolute gall of this woman to demand a request of the Emperor of the Adrestian Empire. Byleth either had a wish for a death sentence or she had zero concept of danger at all. No wonder Hubert hadn’t gotten anywhere.

“I did not feel comfortable talking to him. I apologize.” Byleth lowered her gaze just a bit, as if she had even the barest hint of shame.

Edelgard pinched the bridge of her nose. Again, she couldn’t blame Byleth or fault her logic. “For the time being then, yes, I will acquiesce to your request. You won’t be killed as long as I’m questioning you. Afterwards, however, and depending on your answers, is a different matter entirely.”

“I understand.”

Good. She was making progress. “So, who hired you?” Edelgard asked.

“Rhea,” Byleth said immediately.

If the air could’ve gone colder, it might have, from the way Edelgard felt her entire body go rigid and the way her heart immediately stopped in her chest.

_ Rhea. _

If time and space had gone oddly still, Edelgard’s mind was anything but. A million thoughts coursed through her brain, as fast and uncontrollable as a blazing wildfire. Thoughts jumped like sparks to one another as Edelgard tried to put the guesses and theories altogether at once. Rhea. Had she found out? She had to have found out in one way or another. There’d be no other reason she’d try and take Edelgard out from the shadows. Assassinations were common among Adrestian royalty; she would’ve easily been able to pass Edelgard’s death as yet another power struggle. But how? When did she find out? Who had leaked the information? Someone, someone close within the inner circles, someone--

“Your Majesty?”

Byleth’s strange, quiet voice somehow tugged her back to the present, and Edelgard blinked. All she saw in front of her then was Byleth still chained and shackled to the floor, looking at her with an expression almost close to surprise, her lips slightly parted.

“What?” Edelgard asked, hoarse.

Shifting, the chains clinking, Byleth straightened up a little. “You know this Rhea person?”

“E-excuse me?” Talking to Byleth was like getting whiplash every three seconds. “Did you just ask if I know Rhea?”

“Yes. Do you know who she is?”

Byleth had to be pulling her leg. “Don’t play stupid with me, assassin. Of course I know who she is. Everyone does,” Edelgard said, just a bit of bite in her words.

“Oh. I do not.”

Again, dead silence came between them, but instead the air was stuffed full of the elephant in the room. Edelgard’s emotions were snapping to and fro like getting tossed down an unruly river; now all she had to express was sheer bewilderment and confusion.

“...Are you saying, Rhea was the one who hired you to assassinate me, yet you don’t know who she is?”

“Yes.”

“Then...how did you even come by this contract in the first place?”

“It was sent to my father,” Byleth said, squinting a little as if she were trying to recall. “Since he’s retired, however, he gave me the contract and said I should do something on my own.” She paused, pursing her lips. “This happened a few months ago, if that helps you.”

Now Edelgard could confirm that the Eisner family line seemed to possess an extraordinary penchant for either pure ignorance or laziness or both, but that still didn’t explain Byleth’s sheer ignorance at not knowing  _ Rhea. _ Even so, Edelgard couldn’t detect a lie in Byleth’s simple words; she just seemed far, far too... _ plain _ to weave an intricate lie.

Edelgard placed a hand against her forehead, trying to think through the sheer absurdity of it all. “...So you received this letter from your father, who got it from Rhea, and this event occurred...several months ago. What took you so long to--”

“It was very difficult finding an opening to try and assassinate you,” Byleth said simply. “You have a lot of guards. I spent time studying and learning.”

“And you didn’t question this letter at all? That some random lady asked you to assassinate an Emperor?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I needed the money.”

“...You...took this job. For money.” Edelgard couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was Byleth this...simple? This ignorant? What kind of assassin could have such an incredible eye to detail when it came to murder, yet didn’t know the basics of Fodlan’s church? Of the Adrestian Empire? How in the seven hells had Jeralt Eisner raised his daughter--

“Yes, I took the contract for money. I do not have a lot of it. My father and I traveled Fodlan for quite some time. We never carried a good deal of money on ourselves.”

“So why do you need the money now?”

“As I said, my father retired. He lives in a hut in a forest. I would like to get him a nice house.”

Curiosity piqued Edelgard’s interest, against her better judgment. “How much did Rhea promise to pay you then?” She wanted to see just how much Rhea had seized her up as an opponent--

Byleth said the sum, and Edelgard nearly wanted to bash her head into the bars of the cell. For... _ that little? _ Edelgard couldn’t believe it. Her life was surely worth  _ millions _ more than that. She couldn’t believe Byleth had dared take a bounty for so little, especially on someone as important as her.

Then again. All Byleth wanted was for her father to go from living in a wooden cabin to a stone house. Not exactly the highest aspirations of an assassin, but it explained why this...dumb, or strange, woman had agreed to take on such a...contract.

But...maybe Edelgard could exploit that.

She’d made deals with demons and devils before -- someone would have said someone like herself, all garbed in bloodred could be the matron of hell itself -- and Edelgard wasn’t one to miss opportunity, especially when it was chained and shackled and kneeling before her.

“If I paid you more, would you call off your contract on me?”

“Sure.”

Byleth so easily agreed, it caught Edelgard off guard for a beat. “...Really, now.”

“It’s not as if I have much choice,” Byleth shrugged. “If I deny your request, you’d kill me, correct?”

“I’d only kill you if you were hellbent on murdering me. But that’s besides the point. The contract I have to offer you is, I believe, far more lucrative and worth your time.” Edelgard reached a hand up, grasping onto one of the iron bars. “Now that I’ve listened to you, I ask that you listen to me.”

Byleth lowered her head in acknowledgement, her dirty hair framing her bruised cheeks. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll pay you far more to be  _ my _ assassin,” Edelgard said, and this time each word that came from her throat ringed true with imperial command. “I would like to employ your services for the betterment of the Empire. I will ensure that you are richly rewarded for your efforts and deeds, and you’ll be pardoned for the crime of attempted assassination on the Emperor.”

At the proposal, it was Byleth’s turn to raise her eyebrows, albeit just a fraction, in that small, strange way she expressed emotion. “You want to hire me?”

“Yes. Your skills are impressive. No one’s...come that close to me, before,” Edelgard said, her words turning quieter towards the end. “And...for the future of Fodlan, I...would greatly appreciate someone with your talents at my side.”

She couldn’t reveal  _ too _ much, but the idea of having an elite swordswoman and marksman as an ally -- even a paid one -- could turn the tides of a soon to be red future. And a more petty part of Edelgard had to admit that turning Rhea’s assassin into her own made her feel just a  _ tad _ smug.

“...I agree to your proposal,” Byleth said finally, looking back up again and meeting Edelgard’s gaze with her own. “I am at your service, Your Majesty.”

Relief washed over Edelgard at those words. Though she knew her future was paved with stones made from Death’s hands, if she could prevent as much bloodloss as possible, she would do it. Sparing Byleth’s life, was, in one way, the beginning of her future.

She unlocked the door to the cell and stepped forward, kneeling down in front of Byleth and meeting her gaze as an equal.

“Thank you,” Edelgard said. She was an Emperor, after all. She had to have manners.

Then, Byleth did something that made Edelgard’s heart skip a beat, that made her lose the breath in her lungs, that made her feel something she’d never felt before.

Byleth smiled.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Byleth said, all dirty and unkempt, but somehow still looking...soft, and nice in a strange way. “I look forward to working for you.”

“With me,” Edelgard blurted. “Working with me.”

Byleth blinked, then shifted as Edelgard reached a trembling hand out to undo the chained collar around Byleth’s neck. 

And thus, as Edelgard freed Byleth from her chains and shackles, little did she know Byleth would do the same for her, much, much later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is probably not the most interesting au to most people but i just love writing oblivious byleth...girl's just trying to live her basic life and then all this politics shit comes in lmao but it could be considered just a little ooc thinking of how people characterize their byleths but for me byleth is a little :thinking: emoji all the time even when she's super skilled at every physical activity possible
> 
> and poor edie :') she hires an assassin and instead gets this weird girl who eats dinner 8 times a day and sleeps a lot but is somehow also strangely charming and nice and soft and who treats her as...her :')) (b/c. byleth is ignorant. LOL)
> 
> oh social media  
thehaakun @twitter  
thehaakun @tumblr
> 
> EDIT: I had NO IDEA SO MANY PEOPLE WOULD LIKE THIS AU LOL i fully inteded for this to only be a one-shot, i didn't think this concept would be that interesting b/c it's still close enough to the main game that u can kinda figure out what happens lol  
maybe i'll do a follow-up to this, we'll see ^_^ i'm glad so many people like this au though!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok by popular demand lmao i'll continue this fic but just to the extent of preparing for the war b/c i'm not really willing to rewrite the entire game's war portion lmao (i really hope it'll just be 4-5 chapters total ... this isn't a long fic there's no way i can do that lmao)
> 
> the thing about AUs is that i still have to do some worldbuilding so this chapter is literally just. entirely worldbuilding i'm sorry for the boredom LOL there's like barely any edeleth in this chapter it's just pure setup for me to get things going in the next chapters (me trying to figure out how to do the setup so i don't kill anyone but also i think i gotta kill people b/c war just be like that sometimes and it'd be unrealistic for this au if somehow everyone lived lmao)
> 
> thanks for reading!! and thanks for the support for this fic that was only supposed to be a one-shot lol

When Edelgard went back out with Byleth at her side, freed from chains aside from the manacles at her wrists, she found a Hubert nearly choking on his indignation and a bewildered guard captain. After she explained herself and ordered the captain to find servants to get Byleth cleaned and presentable for a dinner later that evening, she gestured for Hubert to follow her back up the staircase and into the castle main once more.

“Your _ Majesty,” _ Hubert said through gritted teeth as he held the door open for Edelgard, the two of them entering the hallway now lit with moonlight and torches. “Are you _ sure _ this is a good idea?”

“Hubert, I know what you’re thinking. And I order you, _ right now, _ that you cannot kill her,” Edelgard said briskly, strolling down the hallway. “She’s a valuable asset that I don’t intend on losing.”

“And what _ use _ do you have for her? To sicc her on our enemies?”

Edelgard stopped and turned, meeting Hubert’s scowling face with her own. She knew his concerns were well and valid, but… “Yes. And we have to accelerate our plans, Hubert. _ She _ knows.”

If Hubert could’ve gone any paler, he would have, and his golden eyes widened. “The _ Lady _ sent Byleth? You’re certain?”

“Byleth said so herself. Rhea sent the contract to Byleth’s father, who gave it to her. That’s why at this dinner tonight, I’m going to convince Byleth to bring her father to the castle. He might know the inner workings of Garreg Mach better than we do.” She turned and continued on, Hubert at her side once more.

“We explored every corner of that place that we could when we were students,” Hubert said, keeping his voice low. “You believe there’s more intel that we don’t know?”

“Recall the tomb? No student was ever allowed in there, aside from Knights.” Edelgard gestured to another flight of stairs, and the two of them ascended up a floor. “Byleth and her father may be influential in helping us win the coming war, Hubert. And you’ve seen Byleth’s skills in person. I know that you know that she’d be lethal in the shadows, or on the battlefield.”

For a long moment, Hubert said nothing, and the two of them continued down another hallway that led to Edelgard’s study. When they entered, Edelgard heard Hubert’s long sigh behind her as he shut the door.

“I...will acquiesce to your wishes, Your Majesty,” he said, resigned. Even so, Edelgard could see that Hubert had seen the pros outweighed the cons as well. Now that their plans had to be put on an accelerated time frame, any piece of help they could get here and now would serve them well in the close future.

“Good. Now let me explain what I have in mind…”

\---

Dinner that night proved to be a profitable affair, albeit it was again, a strange encounter with the enigmatic assassin.

Byleth ate like she had the appetite of ten people. Edelgard and Hubert could only watch in stunned silence as Byleth ate her way through multiple plates of food, the only sound in the dining room being Byleth’s rapid fire shoveling of food into her mouth and the occasional servant hastily clearing her plate and putting another before her, casting questioning looks over at the Emperor and her spymaster.

From the head of the table, Edelgard leaned over to Hubert on her right side, glancing over at Byleth at her left. “Hubert, did you _ starve _ her?” She’d only been imprisoned for twenty four hours, how could she possibly eat--

“No,” Hubert said, eyes wide. “No, I did not.”

Again, Byleth had that discomforting silence; she’d said a quiet, “Thank you,” at the beginning of the dinner, and nothing else before digging in to her meal. Edelgard thought to politely wait until she’d finished her plate, until politely waiting meant waiting for several more plates afterward. Hubert saw fit to follow her example, albeit with an expression of disbelief.

When Byleth did finish, she neatly wiped her mouth with a napkin, set her napkin down, then looked expectantly at Edelgard.

“You wanted to discuss something with me, Your Majesty?” Byleth asked, as if she hadn’t just eaten her way through half of a kitchen.

“Yes, actually,” Edelgard said, a little breathless as she tried to regain her composure. “You mentioned your father lives out in a forest?”

“Yes.”

“I would like to request that you fetch him and bring him here immediately, as your first task. You’ll be paid, of course.”

“May I ask why?”

Now, it was time for Edelgard to play her cards right. “Your father is...technically an accomplice into an attempted assassination against the Emperor.”

Byleth looked down, seemed to think for a second, then looked back up and nodded. “I understand. You would like me to arrest my father.”

“Yes.” This was Edelgard and Hubert’s first test of Byleth’s loyalty and capability as a mercenary; if she followed through with this request, she would earn one mark of trust.

“I’ll be going with you,” Hubert added, curt. “You are still...a new hire, after all. I will accompany you to find your father in...whatever forest he’s in.”

“...I understand,” Byleth said, giving a slow nod. Quietly though, she added, “You have no reason to believe me, but my father did not look at the contract when he received it. He simply gave it to me and told me to try it. I did not tell him of the contents, nor the target of assassination.” She seemed to struggle for a moment, looking between Hubert and Edelgard. “But I will deliver him to you. I...only ask--”

“That we spare his life?” Edelgard finished softly.

“...Yes. I have no right to ask, but yes.”

Hubert and Edelgard glanced at each other; so far, so good. All according to plan.

“We’ll see when you bring him to us,” Edelgard said. “Do that first.”

Byleth lowered her head in acknowledgement, and Hubert gave a nod of his own; his own slight way of expressing approval.

\---

By the palace stables the next morning, Edelgard and Hubert stood off to the side, watching Byleth check the supplies on her horse before she and Hubert set off.

“Hubert,” Edelgard said, keeping her voice quiet enough so Byleth couldn’t hear. “Along the way, gauge how much she knows about Fodlan politics, starting with the the Church, the Empire, the Alliance, then Faerghus. If she’s to assassinate our enemies, she should start knowing who they are.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll teach her as aptly as I can,” Hubert said, albeit under his breath he added, “I cannot believe she’s that ignorant.”

“I can’t either, Hubert, but looking at how she was raised, I can’t blame her either.” And again, Edelgard’s gut instinct told her Byleth hadn’t lied about anything she’d said; she’d truly been that...simple.

“Either way, rest assured she won’t leave my sight.” Hubert narrowed his eyes. “I understand your reasons for keeping her around, but my trust is much harder to earn.”

“Then I trust that you’ll watch over her and make sure nothing happens to her _ or _ her father,” Edelgard said, turning on her heel and leaving. At best, she was dead certain that she could only hope Hubert wouldn’t disobey her and assassinate her own assassin.

\---

Of course, both Hubert and Byleth were more than capable people, and they returned by the end of the week, a thoroughly haggard and pale Jeralt between them. As father and daughter dismounted, handing over supplies to stable attendants, Hubert headed straight toward Edelgard, who waited by the castle doors.

“How did it go?” Edelgard asked, casting a curious eye over at the supposed greatest captain of the Knights of Seiros. Jeralt himself looked slightly put off and out of his element, whispering things to his daughter, Byleth responding in kind. At one point, Jeralt clapped a hand to his forehead, smearing his hand down his face in a dramatic fashion.

Hubert bowed in greeting, before reaching into his pocket and handing over his report. “I think Byleth is a capable and worthy asset to our cause, Your Majesty, and I thoroughly believe she is aptly suited for the job.” Puffing his chest out a little, he said with some degree of pride, “And she’s now well versed in the histories of the various countries of Fodlan, courtesy of myself.”

“You...seem to like her a bit more?” Edelgard asked, raising an eyebrow.

“When I explained to her your ascension to the throne, she seemed to take it quite well,” Hubert said. “She agreed and understood the necessity of taking out the...corrupt nobles, that were in your royal court.”

After Edelgard had graduated from Garreg Mach, her father had bequeathed the crown to her, and from then on, she’d instituted her rule with an iron fist, eliminating all those who’d stripped her father of power and establishing in the Adrestian Empire a court filled with those most qualified. That’d been just one step to testing the waters of Edelgard’s vision for her future; it’d been successful so far, and it had helped to establish her own network of trusted and capable commanders and leaders across the Empire in preparation for what would soon come -- war.

“...You didn’t mention anything else to her, did you?” Edelgard asked. Explaining her past, her adversity to crests, her own secret; she didn’t want Byleth knowing all that so soon. 

“No, Your Majesty,” Hubert said, lowering his head. “I did not mention our...shadowed allies, and nor did I mention your future plans. Though I did make a passing remark on the necessity of Byleth honing and improving her skills for the future.”

“Good. Did you inform her of what we plan to do with Jeralt?”

“Yes. She agreed with that part as well, and is willing to do her part,” Hubert said, and then he nodded at Jeralt. “And again, your suspicions and Byleth’s words were correct. Jeralt truly had no idea what was in the contract.” Hubert chuckled. “When we told him of the true contents and target of the contract, he’d looked as though I’d poisoned him. I believe he is rightly, ah, afraid of the consequences of his own ignorance.”

“Perfect. Then everything is coming together, as expected. Good work, Hubert.” Edelgard watched as father and daughter spoke to each other some more, Jeralt running a calloused hand through his hair, the other hand pinching at the small beard at his chin. Byleth watched her father with that same, calm expression; but Edelgard sensed something like...affection in Byleth’s gaze too.

Edelgard’s heart ached a little. Her own father had...passed just two years ago. She looked away.

“I assume the rest of the trip went smoothly then?” Edelgard asked, looking back at Hubert again.

Hubert nodded, but then he shook his head with a small, rare smile. “It was overall a rather good trip, Your Majesty. I’ve come to learn that Byleth is a bit on the strange side -- more bizarre than Ferdinand and Caspar combined -- but I believe she will be a worth ally. She seems to share the same ideals as you and I.”

Ideals that leaned towards overthrowing a millenia-old religious system instituted on bloodlines and heritage rather than meritocracy and individual skills. How strange that a person who’d come close to murdering her would somehow share the same thoughts on life.

“Then it’s time to see if she lives up to your high praise, Hubert.” Edelgard strode forward towards Byleth and Jeralt, and the grizzled mercenary turned with a shocked expression, eyes wide at the sight of the Emperor.

“Jeralt Eisner, correct?” Edelgard said, drawing herself up to her full height. Which was still a good three heads shorter than Jeralt. Great start to looking intimidating.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Jeralt said, giving a low bow of respect, Byleth at his side casting a curious glance between the two. “I must explain--”

“Allow me to do so, first.” Edelgard pulled a missive out of a pocket in her armor. “Jeralt Eisner, you are under imperial arrest for being an accomplice to attempted assassination on the Emperor of the Adrestian Empire. Byleth, arrest your father.”

“Wait!” Jeralt turned his shocked gaze from Emperor to daughter. “I must explain--”

Except Byleth had already pulled out a pair of manacles from one of the supply bags on her horse, and moved behind her father to bind his wrists together. Jeralt stood there, mouth open, surprised as he watched his own daughter arrest him and put him in cuffs.

“Sir Jeralt, please allow me to finish before you attempt to justify yourself,” Edelgard said, pointedly looking at the missive in her hand. “As I was saying, you are under arrest for being an accomplice to assassination. Do you deny this?”

“No, but--”

“Then I’m willing to make a deal with you to correct your wrongdoing,” Edelgard said, and she felt Hubert standing behind her. Good; he was a bit taller than her. He could put some intimidation in her words.

“...A deal?” Jeralt blinked. Then he looked at Byleth, realization dawning on his face. His daughter nodded at him in response.

“In return for your services and your loyalty to the Empire, I will pardon you for your crimes. You and your daughter both will be in my employ, and serve as mercenaries to the Empire. You will be paid for your contributions, and your duties will be to assist in training and improving the Empire’s troops. Is that clear?” Edelgard looked up from her missive, meeting Jeralt’s gaze with her own; she had to crane her neck a little, the god damn bear of a man was so _ tall. _

Jeralt opened and closed his mouth several times like a fish, as if he were trying to comprehend what Edelgard was saying. Not that Edelgard could blame him; he had a far, far more expected reaction to Edelgard’s proposal compared to how Byleth had reacted, and she waited patiently for Jeralt to respond.

The deal was a good one. Edelgard and Hubert had crafted it together before going out to fetch the old mercenary. Though she knew Hubert was no stranger to bloodshed, if the two of them could exploit what lives they could and prevent lives from being lost on the battlefield, they would do it. And to have the fabled _ Jeralt Eisner, _ Blade Breaker, as one of the commanders in her army? That would most certainly turn the tides.

“Father,” Byleth said softly.

Jeralt looked back at his daughter, and the two seemed to share some kind of unspoken word between them both. Then he sighed, letting out a half-hearted laugh. “You really got me here, huh.”

“She pays well, Father,” Byleth said. “We can get you a house.”

At that, Jeralt’s expression softened. “Kid, you didn’t need to do all this just to get me a house.”

“But you deserve one.”

To Edelgard’s surprise, Jeralt laughed, a big booming laugh that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. “I know that look on your face, kid. You’re not budging from this. Aye, then.” He turned towards Edelgard, lowering his head in respect and acknowledgement. “Your Majesty, Emperor Edelgard, I acquiesce and accept the terms of your proposal and agreement. Thank you for your mercy.”

“Hubert will go over the finer details of our agreement on paper at a later point in time,” Edelgard said, a hint of relief in her voice. Her plan had worked out smoothly; now she had both Eisners in her employ, far away from Rhea’s hands. “Byleth, you may free your father.”

Byleth uncuffed her father, and Jeralt rubbed his wrists, relief on his own expression as well. “Guess I’m coming out of retirement, then.”

Edelgard didn’t say it, but she couldn’t help but think that with the war she’d been planning, Jeralt wouldn’t have had much of a retirement at all.

\---

And from that day forth, Edelgard put her two new mercenaries to the test.

First, she gave Jeralt a humble home close to the palace, one that he could share with his daughter. It was a tiny, modest house, but Edelgard had heard from Hubert that Byleth had smiled again when she’d seen it.

Then, once the Eisners were settled in, Edelgard gave them their new responsibilities.

Jeralt was put to the test training imperial recruits in the military base set by the city. From Hubert’s reports, he’d settled into the role quite well, whipping the new trainees into shape and even giving some of the older veterans a run for their money with his undeniable prowess and skill in the blade. His amiable personality and famed past made him quite a figure amongst the ranks; he’d apparently gained a few fast friends when he’d dined and drank barrels of beer and ale one night with some of the troops, telling them all of his adventures as a mercenary and captain. Edelgard had felt just a tad bad that she’d drawn Jeralt out of retirement, but at least he was having a good time.

Byleth, on the other hand, had a more covert and quieter role.

Edelgard assigned her to a ‘mock’ assassination. After learning that the security in the castle was not as impregnable as it should have been, she gave Byleth the task to attempting to assassinate her again so she could find the holes in her defenses. It wouldn’t do if Rhea sent another assassin to take her out.

To improve Byleth’s skills, she also gave Byleth a time limit; if Byleth couldn’t ‘assassinate’ her in two weeks, Edelgard would dock her pay. That wasn’t the most intimidating of deadlines, but Byleth had took her at her word, giving a serious nod in acknowledgement.

In their future, they wouldn’t have the luxury of time. War waited for no one.

In the meantime, Edelgard and Hubert hurried to catch Rhea off guard, relocating and moving their armies across the Empire and placing them on standby with leaders of state. On the surface, it’d looked as though she were just running standard drills with her standing army; but that illusion and camouflage could only last so long, and letters took time to send. 

She had to summon her allies to her side, and soon. Then she would have to tell them of her intentions.

However, Edelgard couldn’t alert Rhea to her accelerated movements and plans; she invited her allies under the guise of a ball to celebrate the anniversary of her ascension to the throne. 

Petra, Queen of Brigid, and her wife, Dorothea, answered her invitation with haste, eager to see her and visit Enbarr once more to see their dear friend. It had been some time since Edelgard had seen them both, and she missed them dearly. They had been steadfast friends for her at Garreg Mach, and Edelgard felt comforted at having the two of them at her side once more. They were both elite warriors on their own, and counting Brigid’s own skilled troops, Edelgard and Hubert felt relief at having Brigid as their ally.

Bernadetta had taken quite well to leading her house, now that Edelgard and Hubert had successfully removed her father from the premises and punished him with a lifetime of imprisonment; she too made her way to the capitol, leaving the safety of her house in order to do her best as the Emperor’s advisor.

Caspar and Lindhardt, thankfully, were closeby; after graduation, Edelgard had seen Lindhardt’s talents and given him his own lab and estate to work on, accepting his resignation as nobility and acknowledging Caspar as his rather peculiar knight and bodyguard. A lesser known reason that Edelgard had kept Lindhardt close was because he’d figured out her secret -- the impossibility of two crests -- and she’d set him to work to undo that burden, a task he’d taken to with surprising dedication. His research might just help to fight against her shadowed allies; she didn’t underestimate them, and she’d told Lindhardt enough for him to understand how she’d come to be the way she was today. Even today, Edelgard had never seen Lindhardt look so furious, so driven to fight against an evil he couldn’t even fathom. Edelgard counted him a worthy friend and ally, along with Caspar.

Ferdinand, of course, was already at her side as the Prime Minister; he’d been one of the few nobles who’d gained by merit the role he’d been meant to fill by inheritance, and though Edelgard would never say it aloud, she appreciated his honest words and honorable demeanor. He’d been the one to spearhead a program across the Empire that created colleges based on merit, and they’d seen an increase in educated commonfolk filling the ranks of academia and government, providing another voice to the people. Ferdinand’s friendship with the people gave him a closer relationship with the villagers of the country, and Edelgard and Hubert were thankful on that front. They would have the people of the Empire on their side, with Ferdinand leading them.

Doing all of this in two weeks took a toll on Edelgard’s wellbeing; it was a lot to do, all at once, alongside having to predict and plan for Rhea’s next move. She’d dispatched Hubert to ask Jeralt what he knew of Garreg Mach and its secrets, but he’d been just as left in the dark as herself; the tomb had been nothing more than a tomb, Seiros’ coffin at its end, dead men’s crests buried underneath decrepit gravestones. 

When Edelgard had pressed further about Seiros’ coffin, Hubert had shook his head. Jeralt, nor any other knight he knew of, had ever seen what was inside. They’d never been allowed to open it.

That piqued Edelgard’s interest. The tomb...What was Rhea hiding in there? What other lies had she buried, down deep beneath Garreg Mach? Or rather, what truths had she sealed away in caskets and coffins and graves?

Part of Edelgard’s suspicions had been confirmed when Hubert told her that Jeralt had looked uncomfortable when pressed about information on Rhea. All Hubert could surmise was that Jeralt had little to no trust for the Archbishop, but he’d considered her a powerful figure, one not to be made an enemy of. When Hubert had asked Jeralt of why he’d left the Knights of Seiros just little over two decades ago, again, he’d expressed discomfort.

“But he asked of me a request,” Hubert said.

Edelgard, at her desk, looked up from reading his report. “What did he ask?”

“That we keep Byleth’s existence a secret from Rhea.”

Edelgard abruptly straightened up, her attention caught. “Why is that?”

“He would not answer when I pressed him on it, and I was running out of our allotted time.” Hubert put a hand on his chin, just as intrigued at Edelgard at Jeralt’s secrets. “I at first assumed he didn’t want Byleth or himself punished by Rhea for failing to assassinate you, but I feel as though there is more to the story than there seems.”

“So, Rhea sent the contract to Jeralt, without knowing he has a daughter?” Edelgard said under her breath, the cogs in her head turning. “How did Rhea know to send him a contract?”

“He’d dropped by Garreg Mach on his own on a brief visit after saving some students from wild bandits some years ago. Rhea has kept brief contact with him since.”

“Hm...So Rhea doesn’t even know of Byleth.” Edelgard pushed aside some papers, once more looking down at a map of Fodlan. She had the element of surprise, then. Rhea knew her assassination had failed, but she didn’t know that it wasn’t Jeralt that had been sent to Edelgard. Byleth could play a pivotal role...Edelgard had to play her cards right to take the advantage.

With this newfound knowledge, Edelgard dismissed Hubert, and she herself retired to her chambers for the day. There was much to think about, and she thought with relief of lying down in her bed and letting her brain rest for just a bit. She had far, far too much to think about right now.

And yet, as she drew the blanket up over herself and placed her head on her pillow, Edelgard couldn’t help but feel her curiosity drawn back towards the enigmatic and mysterious Byleth.

In the darkness of the bedroom, Edelgard thought of how she’d first met Byleth. The subtle, strange glow to her eyes, the muted expression on her face, the swift speed with which she’d deflected or parried Edelgard’s attacks. Something poked at the back of Edelgard’s mind; now that she had time to think of it, it’d almost seemed like Byleth had just the barest hint of foresight to when and where Edelgard would attack her, always blocking her just in the nick of time. That level of skill...

There was some kind of connection between Jeralt, Rhea, and Byleth. Something had to explain Byleth’s inhuman perception, her unnaturally elite skills in combat and assassination.

Well, supposedly elite. It was exactly two weeks since Edelgard had assigned Byleth to mock kill her. Since then Edelgard had doubled the guard outside her door, tripled the patrols on the upper floors of the castle, and double locked and sealed every window in the castle. Impossible now to fathom Byleth could assassinate her again…

So just when Edelgard closed her eyes and drifted off into slumber, did Byleth come in and assassinate her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hopefully i'll have more edeleth in the coming chapters now that i have everything set up ,,, whew (wipes sweat off forehead)
> 
> this fic is like me pressing the fast forward button on the parts i don't want to write/are boring aka let's have hubert like byleth quickly b/c they go on some like. Zuko-[team avatar member here] journey when they go get Jeralt and they end up bonding and sharing some common interests LOL
> 
> edit: minor edit for cONTINUITY REASONS MY BAD LOL


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my idiot brain: ya this won't be a longfic!  
my single gay brain cell: ok but like. here's more scene ideas i have in mind. listen to this  
me, crying
> 
> so the planning in my mind ended up going a little longer than expected so maybe 6 chapters lol??? this fic is _almost_ slowburn but not really i really do want them to get together at the end of this i just gotta figure out how the pacing is gonna go bc ofc I want to realistically portray el's trust issues but i'm also like uaghhgh gET TOGETHER faSTER bc i DONT WANNA DO A LONG FIC i cant do it man im not strong neough (but in truth, I really do have set plot events and pieces in my mind I'd like to reach to cohesively tie this fic together in a sensible way -- I'm really grateful to everyone who's reading, thank you so much for your comments!)
> 
> thanks for reading and commenting!! i'm really grateful ;-; !!

Behind the bookcase, in the secret passageway, Byleth wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, panting hard.

Next to her floated Sothis, idly admiring her nails in the light of the single torch on the wall, sharp shadows flickering here and there in the narrow hallway.

“You really think you got the combination this time?” Sothis said dryly, shifting so she was lying in the air, hands behind her head. “Or are you done making guesses? Gonna try lockpicking again?”

Byleth didn’t reply to her spiritual advisor; she’d been with Sothis long enough to know how to ignore her quips and remarks. The bookcase could easily be opened from the inside, but anyone trying to open it from the outside would be met with an impossibly complex lock mechanism. A four-digit code could crack it open, or someone with an uncanny ability to lockpick could force it.

The first day of her assignment, Byleth had immediately gone straight to the palace library, combing and digging through numerous tomes until she’d found the blueprints of the castle, leading her to the passageway to the Emperor’s bedroom and its unbeatable lock. In the first week, during the evenings, Byleth had thrown herself at the lock, doing everything she could to pick it open. But after seven grueling days of no results, she wasn’t so sure in her lockpicking skills anymore. She’d cracked safes, doors, a number of things, but nothing so complex as this.

In the daytime, Byleth focused her efforts on finding clues to the combination. She spent days combing every record of Edelgard’s life, noting every number relevant to her existence. The next week, Byleth sat in front of the lock, trying every combination she could glean from her meticulous notes on Edelgard.

Edelgard’s birthday, her father’s birthday, the Adrestian Empire’s founding, Hubert’s birthday, the day of Edelgard’s ascension to the throne, all of her siblings’ birthdays (which, Byleth and Sothis strangely noted, they’d all passed away), Adrestian holidays, the day Edelgard had enrolled at Garreg Mach, Hubert’s cat’s birthday. Nothing worked.

Nothing Byleth tried was the correct code. Either she was missing a piece or clue, or the code was truly some random number.

Now, on the eve of her deadline, Byleth found herself at a loss on how to succeed at mock assassinating Edelgard. She couldn’t dispatch the number of increased guards in the hallway, and she couldn’t climb in through the windows, and she couldn’t phase herself through stone walls either.

She was stuck.

“So, are you giving up?” Sothis asked, interrupting Byleth’s thoughts.

Byleth straightened up. The hallway had poor ventilation, so she was sweating straight through her black shirt and pants, the fabric sticking uncomfortably to her heated skin. She stripped off her shirt, leaving on her chest wrap and shorts on as she reached into her pack to get her waterskin.

“I do not want to give up,” Byleth said, taking a lengthy drink before putting her waterskin away. “If I fail to assassinate her tonight, she’ll decrease my wages.”

“And is that really so bad?” Sothis rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you’re gonna die.”

“But I’ll have less money to buy food.”

Sothis let out a loud, exasperated groan -- but not like anyone but Byleth could hear her. She clapped a hand to her forehead. “For the love of--Byleth, you’re not gonna _ starve. _ You know the Emperor needs you, it’s not like she’s going to _ not _ give you food.”

What Sothis said was true, that much Byleth could admit. Even so, she didn’t like the thought of failure. She sat down on the ground, back against the bookcase, drawing her knees up to her chest.

Above her, Sothis sighed, lowering herself down in the air a little to be at eye-level with her human host. “Alright, speak. I know that look. What is it?”

“I don’t want to disappoint her,” Byleth said softly, nails digging into her knees. “She could’ve killed me, but she didn’t. I feel as though I owe her to be at my best.” Byleth recalled what Hubert had told her, and what the history books had said about Emperor Edelgard. She’d been ruthless in rooting out the corrupt, but just and fair in those who were honorable. Just from that, it’d been clear enough that if Edelgard had wanted her dead, she’d be buried six feet under the ground with her throat slit or a dagger in her heart. Edelgard sparing her meant that the Emperor had seen...something, in her.

That made Byleth feel a little warm. The most beautiful woman she’d ever seen, thinking of her in such a way.

“Gods,” Sothis said, rolling her eyes again. “You really like Edelgard, huh?”

“She’s pretty.”

_ “She’s pretty,” _ Sothis repeated back to her in a mocking fashion. “Come on. I know there’s more to her than that that you like about her.”

Sothis was always right; there was more, but Byleth didn’t know how to voice it all aloud. How Edelgard carried herself with such authority and poise, elegance and power encompassed into one. How Edelgard spoke with command and influence, everyone in the room always looking to her. How Edelgard was so _ talented, _ juggling so many hats and responsibilities at once, how she could be just and fair, immovable and determined, unwavering and unhesitant.

Byleth had gleaned all that from her studies on the Emperor. Edelgard was one of, if not, the best emperors the Adrestian Empire had ever seen. It was only expected that Byleth would admire her and respect her.

But all that came out of Byleth’s mouth was, “She’s...good.”

Sothis sighed, clucking her tongue. “As expected, you’re as simple-minded as ever. Well, then again. I guess it _ did _ save you.” Mulling over her thoughts, Sothis rolled onto her side in midair, leaning her head on her hand. “I can’t believe telling the truth as a prisoner would actually end up freeing you.”

“I wanted to be honest.” Byleth also suspected that if she’d lied, Edelgard or Hubert would’ve known.

“Yes, yes, honesty is best, yeah, yeah.” Sothis waved a hand, sighing once more. “Fine, fine. I’ll help you just this once.”

Byleth looked up; Sothis said that to her a lot, ‘just this once,’ but just this once had been repeated dozens of times in the past few years. Even though her strange, spiritual companion wouldn’t admit it, Byleth knew Sothis always had her back, helping her in her times of need.

“I’m going to poke my head into the lock, and then you start moving each of the numbers. I’ll tell you when the pins click.” Sothis floated upwards a little bit, then clipped her head into the lock mechanism. They’d done this kind of trick before, when Byleth had been truly stumped on a lock to pick, but Sothis always complained afterward that she got headaches from phasing herself into walls and such.

Byleth stood up, dusted off her shorts, then got to work.

She moved the first dial, number by number, zero to nine, until Sothis’ mouth, poking out, told her to stop. Then she moved to the next, and the next, and the one after that.

When the four digit number was completed, Byleth heard the satisfying _ click _ of the lock being undone, and Sothis, with a relieved sigh, pulled her head back into the hallway.

“Whew, I was getting some vertigo looking at things sideways. What’s the code?” Sothis asked.

It was 1-2-3-4.

Sothis stared.

Byleth stared.

“I think I’m done for tonight,” Sothis said. Throwing her hands into the air, she hissed under her breath, “Humans are so stupid,” before fading and disappearing away.

It took Byleth a few more seconds to process the simplistic code, but then she picked up her pack lying on the ground, snuffed out the torch on the wall, and delicately slid the bookcase open, praying it wouldn’t make a sound.

As expected, Edelgard’s bedroom was just as dim as it had been before; there were muted candles along the walls, nearing the end of their wicks and sure to snuff out by dawn but casting just enough light that Byleth could see Edelgard passed out and sleeping in her bed. Like before, Byleth came to Edelgard’s bedside, but unlike last time, when she raised her hand, she raised it to touch Edelgard’s shoulder and shake her awake--

But then Byleth glanced at Edelgard’s beautiful face, and hesitation held her hand back.

There were bags underneath Edelgard’s eyes, and a light sheen of sweat lay on her brow, the column of her throat. Her pale, white hair -- Byleth had never seen hair like that color before, on someone so young -- was tangled threads around her face. In this way, with her hair down and wearing only a thin nightdress, Edelgard looked so..._ young. _

But even without her armor, her crown, Edelgard looked as burdened as she did awake. Her breathing was shallow, and there, a furrow in her brow. She seemed restless, twitching and jerking in her slumber. Sleep brought no peace to the Emperor, and at that, Byleth felt saddened. 

Then Byleth noticed one of Edelgard’s hands was curled into a fist at her chest, the other underneath her pillow.

Byleth remembered how Edelgard had actually _ killed _ her the first time they met, when she’d torn that dagger out from underneath her pillow. If Sothis hadn’t intervened, Byleth would have died three times that night. Even with just only seconds of being awake, Edelgard’s reflexes and instincts were a sight to behold. Twice Edelgard had slipped her dagger past Byleth’s defenses and stabbed her in the abdomen, the throat, and Sothis (with furious complaints) had wound back time to save her.

Glancing at Edelgard’s face again, Byleth bit her lip, thinking. With no windows, she couldn’t gauge what time it was now, but she felt sure that half the night had passed.

And now, Byleth did not want to wake Edelgard, not when Edelgard looked like she needed rest. Assassination assignment or not, she felt unwilling to touch her target.

So instead, Byleth sat down by Edelgard’s bedside, back against the nightstand, knees drawn up to her chest. She placed her pack at her side, then settled her chin on her knees, staring at the floor.

Now, she could spend some time thinking.

Why was Edelgard so worried? So stressed? What burdened her so?

Was this about Rhea?

Unwilling to wake Edelgard from sleep, Byleth chose to wait and think until her Emperor awoke.

\---

And again, it was a nightmare that terrified Edelgard awake.

Knives, coming towards her. Knives, cutting into her.

Then a far, far too recent memory -- a knife at her throat.

Jerking abruptly, Edelgard gasped, her throat raw, one hand clawed into her pillow. Her heart pounded a mile a minute, adrenaline rushing through her entire body, heat blazing on her skin and the tips of her trembling fingers as she gripped her pillow--

But then something caught her eye.

Just at the side of her bed, the tips of messy, indigo hair.

Unable to believe what she was seeing, Edelgard pushed herself up, looking over the side of her bed to see--

“Your Majesty?” Byleth asked, looking up from her lap where she’d been peeling the skin off an apple with a small knife. Her eyes were wide, as if she hadn’t expected Edelgard to wake up so soon. “Are you--”

“What are you _ doing _ here?” Edelgard blurted, drawing the blankets up to her chest; she tended to sweat a lot when in nightmares, and some part of her didn’t want Byleth to again see her in such a mess. And somehow, Byleth’s half-nakedness made her face heat up, self-consciousness reddening her cheeks. “Why are you sitting there? How did you even get _ in _ here?”

Byleth blinked, lowering her half-peeled apple. “The secret passageway.” She pointed at the bookcase.

Realization dawned on Edelgard just then, and she reached a trembling hand up to push her messy hair out of her face. Of course, Byleth’s assignment; to mock assassinate her. “You discovered the code? What was it?”

“You don’t know?” Byleth raised her eyebrows, just ever so slightly.

“No, Randolph did not inform me, assuring me that it was secure.”

“It’s 1-2-3-4.”

Edelgard came very close to deciding to smash her head into her bedpost, but thought otherwise. She’d have to speak to her subordinates at a later point in time about security.

“So why are you sitting here? And why are you half-naked?” Breathless, Edelgard sat back against her pillows, wide awake now. She most definitely had _ not _ expected Byleth to succeed at her task; this assassin clearly had more skills and talents than Edelgard was aware of. And she definitely hadn’t expected Byleth to be that... _ shredded. _ Gods, her _ arms...her abs-- _

“The passageway gets hot, if you stand in it long enough.” Byleth went back to cutting her apple, as if she wasn’t sitting half-naked next to the Emperor of the Adrestian Empire. “I was sitting here, waiting for you to wake up to tell you I succeeded at my assignment.”

“Yes, I’m fully aware,” Edelgard said, trying to figure out where else to look other than Byleth’s biceps. Byleth’s skin was pockmarked with scars, arrays of ridges on her shoulders, her back, her arms; it was all a little distracting, the way her muscles flexed as Byleth swiftly continued peeling her apple. Edelgard had to take a second to breathe. “You could’ve woken me up. You didn’t need to wait here.”

Byleth paused, and her voice went so quiet, Edelgard had to lean in a little. “You seemed tired, Your Majesty. I...did not want to interrupt your rest.”

Opening her mouth to respond, Edelgard found that she had no answer. If she were honest...she was always tired. Every second of everyday, Edelgard spent dealing with one thing or another, never a break or respite in between. Not to mention that her nights were never her moments of rest either. The weight of nations lay on her shoulders, and never once could Edelgard rest that weight on anyone else -- it had to be her, and her alone.

For a moment, Edelgard sat there, trying to find an answer. She couldn’t tell Byleth everything. They barely knew each other. But...

It felt...strange, to experience Byleth’s bizarre consideration and kindness once more. An honest assassin was something she’d never thought she’d hear, nor experience.

“I…” Edelgard settled back against her pillows again, clenching her hands in her blanket. She still felt a little bare and cracked open; nightmares always had her trembling, weakening her resolve. To experience a stranger’s kindness, in her moment of vulnerability...it made her feel something. “I...am tired. I am.”

Byleth glanced up at her, but said nothing.

She didn’t know why she said that, and she didn’t know why she’d said that to Byleth, of all people. Those words were never something she could say to Hubert, or to any of her advisors, or friends; why would she say them to Byleth now?

Edelgard didn’t really know the answer. Maybe it was because Byleth was so simple; Byleth wouldn’t assume anything from those words, words coming from the Emperor. Byleth hadn’t known anything about her, hadn’t assumed anything about her. Byleth was just..._ Byleth, _ plain and simple, never judging.

“I...have a lot on my plate, at the current moment,” Edelgard found herself saying. “I always do, really. An Emperor’s work is never done.”

“Will it ever be?”

“What?”

Down on the ground, Byleth met Edelgard’s gaze with her own. “Will you ever get to rest?”

Bunching up her blanket in her fists again, Edelgard looked down at her lap; where the sleeves of her dress rode up her arm, she saw crisscross cuts of faded scars on her wrists. In that second, something burst into flames in her heart.

“...No. Not until I do what needs to be done, to make the future a better place.” Her words came out like an Emperor’s, hardened by fire.

Edelgard was met with silence, and she looked over to see Byleth staring at her with an intense look, and goosebumps went up her arms; it almost felt like Byleth was seeing through her, studying her with minute attention. This close, Byleth’s eyes were vivid in color, even in the dimness of her bedroom, and Edelgard stopped breathing for just a second. No one had _ ever _ looked at her in this way before, undoing her piece by piece, piercing straight through her armor--

Then there was a loud _ crack _ as Byleth snapped the apple in her hands in half.

Wordlessly, to a shocked and startled Edelgard, she held out one half of the apple.

“I understand,” was all Byleth said. Then she held out the other half expectantly as she took a giant bite out of her own.

Edelgard looked from the apple, to Byleth, to the apple, and back.

“Um. Thank you,” Edelgard managed to say. She tentatively took the apple, the tips of her fingers brushing against Byleth’s. Once Byleth was sure Edelgard had taken the apple, she turned her vivid stare away, and Edelgard let out an unknowing breath she’d been holding. Now that she was free of Byleth’s gaze, her heart resumed beating fast inside her chest; something about Byleth and her strange personality made Edelgard feel a heated flush on her cheeks. She was just...so _ different. _

For a long moment, there was nothing but the soft _ crunch _es as Byleth quickly ate through her apple, and Edelgard too took slow bites out of her own.

“The day I first met you,” Byleth said in the silence, and Edelgard immediately paused in eating her apple. “You woke up.”

Swallowing, Edelgard said nothing, unsure of what to say; it felt like Byleth had more to say, but she too remained silent.

“Um...Yes. I did.”

Edelgard watched as Byleth rummaged around in her bag, and somehow procured another apple, which she immediately took to skinning again. Quieter, so softly that Edelgard had to lean in again, Byleth said, “You woke up the same way today, too.”

Now Edelgard heard the pounding of her heart in her ears.

“You’re tired, and you don’t sleep well,” Byleth murmured. “You look stressed when asleep, and awake.”

Freezing in place, cold pillows against her back and heavy blanket in her lap, Edelgard felt her entire body go tense, tight as a wire, strung and wound. She believed in no gods but she prayed that Byleth didn’t ask about her nightmares, didn’t ask her about the faded scars on her wrists, her collarbone. How could she explain? How could she--

“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Byleth asked softly, turning her head and meeting Edelgard’s frozen gaze.

Now the look Byleth gave her was different; she wasn’t searching for answers, rather, it felt more like Byleth was pulling back, giving her space. There was a strange edge of softness and hesitancy to her voice, as tentative as gentle snow.

Struggling to find a response to a question that’d been an absolute curveball, Edelgard’s mouth felt dry. For some reason, all the tasks she’d had in mind for Byleth went out of her brain and all she could think in this second was that Byleth looked so..._ sweet. _

_ Soft. _

“No,” was the kneejerk reaction that came out of Edelgard’s mouth, but the second she said that she saw how Byleth’s lips parted slightly, as if she were surprised -- and then Edelgard immediately backtracked. “I mean, well, yes. You’re, um, you’re already helping, Byleth.”

“Oh.” Even in her quiet voice, Byleth didn’t sound convinced.

There was no way Edelgard could say aloud the plans she and Hubert had so meticulously crafted, and then so painstakingly shoved forward at a faster pace. How could she tell Byleth that she planned on sending her and her father to war? Against Rhea herself? It was too soon -- far, far too soon. She wanted to wait to reveal that news when everyone had gathered; that’d be the easiest time.

But in the meantime, preparations had to be done, deals made, information exchanged.

“I mean, Byleth, your next assignment. I recall that you’re a very accomplished fighter. And, clearly,” Edelgard made a pointed look at the bookcase and the secret passageway. “Your assassination skills are improving, along with your skill in covertcy. My intention now is to have you privately train my Strike Team.”

“Strike Team?” Byleth furrowed a brow, pausing in peeling her apple.

“Yes. It’s an elite group of individuals that I trust more than any troops in my army. They report directly to me, and no one else.” Edelgard straightened up, winding her fingers through her tangled hair, assuming her identity as Emperor once more. “Your skills at infiltration and combat are unparalleled. I’d like you to pass on your skills to my allies.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Byleth said, giving a nod. “When do I begin?”

Pursing her lips, Edelgard went through her mental calendar. Lindhardt, Caspar, Ferdinand, and Bernadetta had arrived in the city proper earlier this week. Petra and Dorothea had sent a messenger ahead; they’d be here on the morrow.

All of her greatest pieces on the board…

“Tomorrow,” Edelgard said. “You’ll begin tomorrow, when they’re all here.”

Finished peeling her apple, Byleth took a bite out of it, standing up and shouldering her pack before bending into a low bow. “As you command, Your Majesty. I’ll be taking my leave, as well. I believe it’s almost dawn.”

“Right.”

Except Byleth headed for the bookcase instead of the door. “Wait, Byleth, where are you going?”

“Back out. If I leave through the front door, your guards will kill me,” Byleth said casually as she began to slide the bookcase open once more. “I apologize,” she added as an afterthought.

At this angle, Edelgard got a good look at the way the candlelight flickered over Byleth’s back muscles, rippled and lean, patterned with scars. Then, the way her bicep flexed as she slid the bookcase aside; it made Edelgard’s thoughts go clear from her mind once more.

Impulsively, just as Byleth stepped into the secret passageway to leave, Edelgard blurted, “Wait.”

Byleth paused and turned, eyebrows slightly raised.

“I’ll be joining you on your sessions,” Edelgard said, heart beating fast in her chest. She didn’t know why she said that.

Then Byleth did something that truly took Edelgard’s breath away.

She smiled.

“I look forward to that, Your Majesty.” She lowered her head in acknowledgement.

And then she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hell yeah more edeleth time
> 
> sothis: so like y u like edelgard  
byleth: she hot and she can beat my ass  
sothis: aight. ya. thats valid. ok. u right there
> 
> byleth: (stares like a deer in headlights) (stares like an alien)  
el: ok. thats kinda weird but like. ur also kinda pretty hot too so i guess this'll pass
> 
> for people wondering why i make byleth eat food all the time is because. in my game. i literally spent one whole free day, all 8 hours, just eating lunch with students and instructors. it was just like. 8 hours of eating dinner over and over. and byleth just ate all of it. she never complained. she got 8 dinners and ate all of it so now I headcanon that byleth just really fuckin loves food lmao 
> 
> I wasn't able to add it into this chapter w/out breaking the flow of things but Byleth has video game inventory in her pack. She has like. 15 apples in there. Just 15 apples sitting in her backpack b/c she loves food


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter is also a little boring but I needed some setup for some future things that can now go by really quickly and i can get back to main plot stuff
> 
> i hope i can squeeze the rest of my ideas into 2 more chapters, but if not there might be like 7 chapters total we'll see I only have like, 2 real plot scenes left in my mind before it's time for THE WAR PORTION which i'm considering would be a sequel to this fic ... it'd be great to write a little bit more of this au than what i have planned in this fic
> 
> thanks for sticking around!! i'm really happy to see people like this fic. i liked it more than i thought i would too lol

The next day, Edelgard assembled her team in the training courtyard of the palace, a broad swath of land where guards and passing troops alike could hone and improve their skills. Targets for archers, stables with horses to bring out to the fields, a fully equipped armory; it lacked for nothing, and Edelgard saw fit to bring her greatest and brightest there for Byleth’s sessions (‘brightest’ being a little questionable in Ferdinand’s and Caspar’s case, but she let that pass).

“Everyone, thank you for coming today,” Edelgard said, hands at her hips, her family axe strapped to her back. At her sides stood Byleth and Hubert, Byleth bedecked in her standard armor attire and Hubert in his ever present swath of black. “You are all the most capable people I know, but it is my intention to keep us all vigilant and well-equipped for any situation. Thus, I have enlisted the help of this mercenary, Byleth, to train you all up to par.”

In front of her stood the line of her closest allies; Dorothea, Petra, Ferdinand, Bernadetta, Caspar, and Lindhardt.

Naturally, much like their time at Garreg Mach, her friends had questions.

“Do I have to do this?” Lindhardt yawned, pressing a hand over his mouth. “You know I’m better at healing than combat.”

“Goddess, save me,” Bernadetta said under her breath, hands clasped in front of her in prayer. “Strike me dead before I die from another Hubert training regimen.”

“You  _ know, _ Your Majesty, that I am one of your most  _ elite _ soldiers,” Ferdinand huffed, puffing his chest out. “I am not lacking in any area of skill and talent.”

“I am eager to be learning again,” Petra said with a smile; her words were backed up by her attire, a Brigidian outfit paired with swords at her hips and daggers at her ankles and knives put who knows where else. “It will be just like the older times.”

“Ooh, is this the assassin you were speaking of, Hubert?” Dorothea asked, hand on her chin as she looked Byleth up and down. “Not bad looking at all.”

Edelgard shot Hubert a look, who only gave her a stiff shrug. “Dorothea  _ is _ one of your best spies, Your Majesty. I cannot keep information from her for long.”

“Wait, wait, she’s an assassin?” Caspar blurted, eyebrows shooting up. “Woah! How many people have you killed?”

“I don’t know,” Byleth said.

“Far less than me, I’m sure,” Hubert muttered under his breath.

“What’s the worst place you’ve assassinated someone? You’ve assassinated people right? Because you’re an assassin?” Caspar said excitedly, his words tumbling out in a rush as nearly vibrated with enthusiasm. Next to him, Lindhardt rolled his eyes, letting out an exhausted sigh.

Byleth looked down, in thought, before looking back up again. “I’ve killed someone at a wedding.”

_ “Ooh.” _ Dorothea laughed aloud. “Blasphemy, sacrilege. I think I like her already.”

Reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose, Edelgard closed her eyes, and breathed in, then out. Already off to a great start; even so, her heart felt a little warmer at being amongst her friends again, hearing their banter and camaraderie. It’d been a while since she’d been surrounded by people who could speak so freely with her.

Clearing her throat to get everyone’s attention, Edelgard straightened up again. “Everyone, please focus. To begin, Byleth needs to know each of your weaknesses and strengths. I’ll be having each of you engage Byleth in one-to-one combat so she can create a training regiment that’ll befit you.”

“Your Majesty,” Byleth said softly next to her. “May I ask for a change of plans?”

“What do you mean?” Edelgard turned, brow furrowed.

“I’d like to take on all of them at once.”

Hubert snorted loudly, then covered up his snort by pretending to give a loud cough.

“Excuse me?” Edelgard’s eyes were wide. “You...You want all of them to attack you at once?”

“Yes. Hubert allowed me to read the dossiers on each of your companions yesterday. I studied them.” Byleth gave a nod at the line of people standing before them. Her face was completely deadset serious, no hint of a jest to be found. “I think I know enough about them to fight them, now.”

Edelgard looked up at Hubert, who only raised his eyebrows but there was a hint of a smirk on his lips too. “You gave her one day to prepare, Your Majesty. I saw fit to only enable her to do her job.”

Scrutinizing her spymaster with critical gaze, Edelgard stared down Hubert for a long moment; she couldn’t help but suspect that Hubert had an ulterior motive to informing Byleth of the members of the Strike Team, but she’d question him on that later.

“I’ll agree to your new plan, Byleth. Team,” Edelgard looked at her old friends. “Get into position. Hubert will sound off when the battle is to start. Your goal is to take Byleth down, unless Byleth takes you down first.”

With that, Hubert and Edelgard went up to the ramparts above the field to observe the coming fight. They watched as their companions went to positions, surrounding Byleth in a wide semicircle, Byleth with her back to the rampart wall. All she wielded was a simple wooden practice sword, but Edelgard had the slightest feeling there was more to Byleth than meets the eye. The weapons the others chose to carry were nonlethal as well, but could still hurt; Edelgard kept a careful eye on Petra’s assortment of mock weapons displayed on her body, and she was soundly aware of how Caspar’s bare fists could cleave straight through a man’s skull, given enough force.

“So, Hubert. Your intentions?” Edelgard asked, light wind billowing over them, ruffling their capes. The early afternoon sun cast short shadows, lighting the vibrant green grass below.

Hubert had no humor in his voice as he surveyed the land with a cutting, golden gaze. “This is as much a test for them as it is for Byleth, Edelgard.” He’d used her name; he rarely did, unless there was something of great importance, and Edelgard looked at him full on, giving him her attention. “If they aren’t ready, we’ll lose your vision for the future in the battles to come. And for Byleth, for all her skill, if she can’t take down these soldiers, how can we expect her to engage in combat with our  _ real _ enemy?”

True enough. Their real enemy wasn’t even human. Rhea, their shadowed allies. If they wanted to fight gods, they’d have to increase their strength and skill in record time.

There was only a few months left until the anniversary of her ascension to the throne. Just months was all the time they had before Edelgard would declare war on the Church of Seiros. Months to gather her forces, secure her allies, train her troops, prepare her manifesto. It was a significant hurdle, but one that needed to be crossed for the future of Fodlan.

So she stood there and watched her greatest pieces fight one another.

\---

“You really sure you don’t want  _ any _ pulses during this?” Sothis asked as Byleth stood at position, patiently awaiting Hubert’s signal. “What if you lose?”

Byleth only responded with a minute shrug.

“You really  _ are _ an imbecile,” Sothis sighed, but she nonetheless seemed to accept Byleth’s decision. “Nonetheless, you are  _ my _ imbecile, after all. And they don’t call you a demon for nothing. Good luck.” She faded away, leaving Byleth on her lonesome to listen to the quiet whisper of the breeze, the flutter of royal banners on top of the ramparts, the soft brush of grass in the wake of the afternoon.

In a better effort to not disappoint Edelgard, Byleth had requested of Sothis that during her sparring sessions, she would have no Divine Pulse. Making stupid mistakes and wasting time and energy using the Pulse would only prove to Byleth that she wasn’t capable on her own; she couldn’t be reliant and dependent on Sothis’ abilities forever, and she knew the limits of the Pulse as well. Past a point, she’d black out from exhaustion. It wasn’t an infinite resource of power, and some part of Byleth suspected that she’d be using it more often in the future.

She needed to cut down on her mistakes. Edelgard wouldn’t tolerate any, so neither should she.

From the corner of her eye, Byleth saw Hubert raise a hand and announce the formal rules of the battle. They’d drawn an audience; some miscellaneous guards and troops hovered on the ramparts too, or on the edges of the field, watching with curious eyes.

She had a few seconds then. Seconds to observe her environment. Seconds to gauge what she could take advantage of.

First, her enemies. She counted each one, left to right.

Bernadetta. Skilled archer with a bow, though she didn’t look it. She had a sharpeye, notorious for her precise accuracy, despite her overwhelming cowardice.

Lindhardt. A lethal, knowledgeable mage masked behind a facade of being a healer. Avoided combat at all costs, preferred healing. 

Caspar. Lindhardt’s sword and shield; or rather, brawler. Reckless, but whose punches were known to knock men twice his size out cold. Overwhelming strength, but crippled by his simplicity.

Ferdinand. Skilled with a lance, both on and off a horse. Had a penchant for headstrong, frontal assaults. He could be predictable, much like Caspar, despite his upper ground.

Dorothea. Massively lethal mage; her distance in spellcasting was second to none. Even Hubert had gauged that a fully powered Dorothea could single handedly wreck havoc on an entire battle. Though she had a mastery of the sword, her endurance suffered.

Petra. Skilled in not only Fodlan arts of combat, but in Brigidian forms as well. Swords, knives, daggers, even bows; she could wield those with ease. Weakness; magic, and a penchant for defending her friends first, rather than attacking first.

_ “At position!” _ Hubert’s voice came loud and clear, and instinctively, Byleth got into her ready stance, feet planted firmly in the ground, knees slightly bent.

She watched the others do the same.

_ “Begin!” _

In all her time she’d been alive, and in all her time she’d spent with Sothis, Byleth was never sure if her concept of time had been skewed by the Divine Pulse. Battles could happen slowly, or quickly, time running ahead and throwing itself back, and it was like Byleth could  _ see. _ Each step, each movement, each breath she took -- she knew those as acutely aware as she did her own enemies’ movements, even when they were hidden from view. Jeralt’s training had always been intense, pushing her to her limit, and to this day, Byleth wondered if her father and Sothis had somehow pushed her beyond that limit, to a height of sense that no one could fathom.

And with time slowed, Byleth  _ moved. _

Each one of Edelgard’s chosen soldiers were skilled; incredibly so. More than once their blows landed true, Caspar’s punches leaving behind brutal bruises, Bernie’s arrows lodging themselves in her armor, spells from Lindhardt and Dorothea singing the tips of her hair.

But Byleth had known true battles. It didn’t matter how tired, how burnt, how wounded she was; she had to get up, she had to keep fighting. Losing meant dying; Jeralt had drilled that into her, over and over. Honor meant nothing when she was dead; she either fought to live or she died trying. No point with glamour, heroics, fancy acrobatics. Either get to the point and kill the enemy first or let them kill her.

With no Pulse, Byleth had to consider each and every move as the one that might be her end.

So for soldiers who’d been trained with honor and chivalry and refined forms of combat, Byleth was the exact opposite -- unpredictable, blunt, and cutthroat.

She hurled daggers hidden from her vambraces into the eyes of her opponents to force them to slow, punched and striked at lethal points like the neck or between the legs to delay, threw one friend into another by using the momentum of a charging Caspar to collide into a sprinting Ferdinand. At one point she’d even thrown a chokehold around a panicked Bernadetta, using her as a body shield against Dorothea’s and Lindhardt’s spells, before knocking her unconscious and using Bernie’s own bow and arrows to unleash a hellstorm on everyone else, riddling them all with a barrage of arrows. At another point, she disarmed Petra and punched fierce uppercuts into her gut that made her double over, before stealing the practice knives at her hips and ankles and hurling them at the others. In another bout of chaos, she snapped Ferdinand’s spear in half and threw those halves too, throwing anything and everything she had until she closed the distance between herself and her enemies.

The battle, for all the Strike Team’s credit, did last a few minutes before they were all knocked out, and Byleth was considerably beat up by the end, bruises and cuts along her arms, her face.

But she was the last one standing, panting hard, wiping a trail of blood away from her mouth. Truly, they’d been taught well. But they’d never been taught to fight against someone with battle experience like Byleth.

“Wow,” Sothis said, as Byleth’s visioned blurred a little when she looked up at the ramparts to see Edelgard and Hubert with open mouths, observing the battlefield below. “You really did it. I can’t believe you’re still standing.”

“I’m not,” Byleth whispered, and then she passed out.

\---

Healers came and picked up the unconscious Strike Team -- some suspected Lindhardt had just pretended to be knocked out so he could sleep -- before carrying them away to an infirmary. Edelgard and Hubert had descended from their perch above to the sound of whispers and hushed breaths in their wake. The two of them watched as the Strike Team was led back into the castle, and for a long moment, Edelgard stood in the middle of the yard, looking at the broken weapons laid out before her.

“She fights with no honor,” Hubert said quietly, pressing the toe of his boot on top of one of the broken halves of Ferdinand’s spear.

“I’m surprised to hear  _ you _ of all people say that,” Edelgard replied.

“Do not mistake me, Your Majesty. It’s not a bad thing. Byleth fights to survive. To kill. It’s obvious in the way she moves -- everything she does is calculated to take her enemy out as fast as possible.” Hubert crossed his arms, gaze serious as he looked at his Emperor. “She is an assassin, through and through.”

“Truly.” During the battle, Edelgard had felt shivers run down her spine as she’d watched Byleth dispatch her teammates one by one. Fighting Byleth -- it wasn’t an experience Edelgard would wish on anyone. “Even so, Hubert. I would say if this might have been another day, Byleth might have lost this battle. There’s much to do to train both my assassin and the Strike Team up to par. Having them train with Byleth and each other will do us well, before our time ends.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Inform Byleth when she awakens to prepare her assessment on the Strike Team, and to prepare lesson plans for each of them on how to improve,” Edelgard said, eyeing the multitude of arrows peppering the ground around her. “And…” She paused for a moment, a little thrill going through her heart for some unknown reason. “Tell her she’ll be fighting  _ me _ tomorrow.”

With a nod and bow, Hubert departed, leaving Edelgard to observe the wreckage in her wake on her own. Just what she saw today on this small training ground would be repeated a thousand times over in her soon future...Except the silver weapons and green grass would be stained as red as the armor she wore.

\---

True to her word, after recovering, Byleth had prepared a folder of reports, each assessing the weaknesses and strengths of the Strike Team’s core members. She had high praise for their combat skills, but criticized their weaknesses in team work and coordination, adding suggestions for improvements in strategy and formation. Edelgard read Byleth’s papers late in the night while in bed, a hand on her chin as she read; Byleth had done as Edelgard had asked and prepared weeks worth of lessons for the Strike Team to practice. How she’d done it in just a span of a few hours, Edelgard didn’t know, but she had to admit she was definitely impressed.

To add to that, Byleth strangely had a somewhat readable hand; Edelgard had half-expected Byleth’s handwriting to be as legible as Caspar’s, chicken scratch with a dash of loose grammar, but she surprisingly had stable and elegant prose.

Edelgard chuckled. It seemed that Byleth would never cease to surprise her.

That held true the next day, too.

\---

They stood across from each other on the practice field once more. The healers had done a remarkable job; Byleth looked just as good as new, her armor polished and smooth, her skin free of scars and wounds. Her dark, black armor stood in sharp contrast to Edelgard’s brilliant bloodred armor; the only sliver of color common between them both was the silver practice axe Edelgard had in her hand and the dull-edged sword held in Byleth’s. For the occasion, Byleth had done her hair up in a ponytail, and Edelgard had her own hair neatly tucked into a bun. The afternoon sun angled down at them, just like yesterday, the soft breeze their only companion down below.

This time, the Strike Team and Hubert stood at the ramparts, with small pockets of people here and there, curious to see the battle between Emperor and assassin.

“This won’t go like last time,” Edelgard said in the silence, only the breeze making a quiet rustle of the grass in their wake. She’d taken care to practice her movesets and strategies beforehand. Surely she could win a fight against Byleth this time, without Hubert’s help.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Byleth stood at position, face unreadable.

At the ramparts, Hubert raised his hand.  _ “At position!” _

The two got into stance, eyeing each other.

_ “Begin!” _

Edelgard had barely blinked when she saw Byleth, with flicks of her wrists, reveal hidden daggers from her vambraces -- and she hurled them,  _ hard, _ at Edelgard.

Dodging the first, Edelgard barely deflected the second with the hilt of her axe, where it spiraled away; she sprinted forward, trying to cover the distance between herself and Byleth. It was only a few paces at most but even so; she had to get close with her axe to do any damage--

She swung her axe upward, only for it to be batted away by Byleth’s sword.

And like before, all those nights ago, the two exchanged blows, sword on axe, parries and deflects and dodges, their weapons a blur between them both. For all Edelgard’s skill and education, even as she pressed the offense, beads of sweat formed on her brow, strain and effort laboring her breaths as she tried to get through Byleth’s almost  _ flawless _ defense.

But it also meant Byleth couldn’t attack. They were, once again, stuck in a stalemate.

For what felt like an eternity to Edelgard, all that rang through the courtyard was the  _ ring _ of metal on metal, of footsteps dancing in the grass. Never once had Edelgard been pressed  _ this _ hard against someone; normally sparring sessions ended quickly, with herself always gaining the upperhand.

However, unlike her monastery days...She was facing an elite assassin. One born to kill.

One who always intended to kill. Hubert had been right. Nothing Byleth did was extraneous. Each movement was precise, smooth, calculated, in that way that only someone who’d faced true combat could perform.

Then, something glinted in Byleth’s eye; Edelgard’s arm, wearied by strain, moved just a beat too slow.

With a twist of her sword, Byleth disarmed Edelgard, and her axe flew through the air -- but now Byleth made a mistake.

She watched the axe fly away, her eyes flickering from Edelgard for just a split second.

So Edelgard, without hesitation, held back a fist and punched Byleth in the face.

Byleth hadn’t managed to move away in time, but she’d moved just enough that Edelgard’s knuckles collided straight into her jaw, no doubt leaving a bruise; as she staggered back just a step, Edelgard performed another move, clamping a hand down hard on Byleth’s wrist, forcing her to let go of her sword -- then the two were forced backward, as Edelgard once more pressed the offense.

The two of them executed flawless martial arts movements and forms, all seamlessly woven together; palms, wrists, forearms, interchanged with fists and knuckles. Edelgard had fought instructors from many cultures, but each had been specialized in one art of training; fighting Byleth was like fighting three forms at once. The Fodlan technique, the Dagdan, the Brigidian.

Their fight -- they mirrored themselves from the first night they’d met.

But now Edelgard felt a shiver run down her spine -- there was something different in Byleth’s eyes now. Something was  _ there -- _ it wasn’t her typical, blank stare. There was something  _ burning _ in her gaze, bright and intense _ \-- _

For a split, stupid,  _ stupid, _ second, Edelgard thought Byleth looked pretty.

And then Edelgard felt a knee ram into her gut, and she doubled over.

Then a fist at her spine, smashing her into the ground, and stars exploded in Edelgard’s eyes from the sheer impact.

Using pure instinct, Edelgard threw a hand out, clamping down on Byleth’s ankle and she pulled…

For Byleth to tumble down next to her, the sound of armor slamming into the grass -- and then, Byleth looked up to see Edelgard scrambling towards the sword left behind, just paces away.

What happened next could only be described as a tussle; Byleth throwing herself at Edelgard, trapping her in a bear hug, then Edelgard rolling to crush Byleth underneath her back and elbow her in the ribs with a sharp blow -- Byleth’s sharp hiss of breath meant she’d broke a rib -- before Byleth managed to bodily flip Edelgard over and away. They rolled in the grass though for a few moments, punching and kicking at each other, Edelgard’s lips curled up in a snarl as she landed blow after blow against Byleth’s sides. But in the same vein, Edelgard received punch after punch of Byleth’s own, the two of them bruising each other to hell and back.

This wasn’t an Emperor fighting an assassin. This was just two people trying to beat each other at their own game.

One eye squinted shut due to a wound on her forehead bleeding, Edelgard decided she’d have to throw away her pride and admit she could  _ not _ defeat Byleth in pure, hand-to-hand combat alone.

So just as she planted a food in Byleth’s chest, forcing her to land flat on her back, Edelgard ripped the dagger she’d had hidden in a pocket of her vambrace and immediately vaulted herself over Byleth, straddling her waist and thrusting the tip of the dagger at Byleth’s neck.

_ “Yield,”  _ Edelgard panted, barely able to see from the blood slipping down one side of her face, and the black eye she no doubt had over the other. Everything blurred; she was at her limit.

And apparently so was Byleth. She dropped her hands by either side of her head, fists loosening up as she held her hands flat out in surrender.

“I yield,” Byleth breathed, her own face an equal of Edelgard’s.

Even so, as Edelgard looked down at her, she still had that stupid thought in her haze of consciousness that Byleth looked...pretty, hair all messed up, cheeks red from exertion, sweat on her brow and her throat. All these thoughts brought a shade of pink to Edelgard’s cheeks, thankfully camouflaged by her exhaustion and strain.

If Edelgard had thought she’d had trouble breathing before, now it happened again -- Byleth  _ smiled. _

Soft, gentle. So unlike the fierce, cutthroat side of her that’d been there just a minute before. Byleth’s smile was so...warm.

“You won, Your Majesty,” Byleth said, a little hoarse, but quietly all the same.

“I...I did,” Edelgard said, and she couldn’t help it -- even though her ribs hurt, she cracked a little chuckle of relief. “You’re...really a demon to fight, Byleth.”

“And you’re a storm, Your Majesty. Powerful, like a tempest.”

Edelgard chuckled again as she lowered her dagger. “Is now really the time to flatter me with poetry, Byleth?” She said that without thinking; she was so  _ exhausted, _ nothing went through a filter and Edelgard only realized a split second later it sounded a lot like she was  _ flirting-- _

To make matters worse, Byleth pushed herself up on her arms, no doubt wincing from the pain of her own ribs, but she kept her soft smile all the same. “My apologies, Your Majesty,” she said, their faces just inches apart, but Byleth didn’t sound apologetic at all.

Not that Edelgard minded. If she had to admit it, she quite liked hearing Byleth’s soft voice. It was soothing, in a strange way.

_ “Match completed! The Emperor wins!” _ came Hubert’s voice, and the sound of reality startled them both, the two of them looking up into the ramparts to see their companions all open-mouthed with awe and surprise.

Hastily pushing herself up off Byleth, Edelgard reached a hand down to pull Byleth up -- and Byleth gratefully accepted Edelgard’s offered hand, her calloused and sweaty palm against Edelgard’s, and Edelgard thought of just how warm and gentle Byleth’s hand really was.

\---

Later that evening, Edelgard had taken to her chambers to rest after her healers had taken a look at her and Byleth; she’d dismissed the assassin after giving her her next assignment. Firstly, review the battle and write a report, specifically detailing Edelgard’s weaknesses and strengths. It’d be best for Edelgard to learn from her mistakes, too; the match hadn’t been a perfect one. Secondly, Byleth was to continue her quest on mock assassinations; it’d keep Edelgard on her toes. Thirdly, in the weeks following, they were to have scheduled lessons and sparring practices with the Strike Team and herself (Hubert was given the option to join, when he was free from sorting out Edelgard’s plans for the coming future).

Edelgard ended up passing out in her bed during dinner time from exhaustion, so she woke up an hour later to find a little cart at her bedside with a full plate of dinner on a silver tray. A note from Lindhardt on it told her to take the prescribed herbs and other medicines to heal up faster, which she did with gratefulness as she downed a cup of Bergamot tea. Kind of Lindhardt to remember…

Making sure the candles in her room were lit just a little brighter so she could continue reading several reports, Edelgard returned to bed, sitting up against her pillows, papers in her lap. The dinner cart had come with Byleth’s report on their fight -- Edelgard read it with great interest.

Byleth considered her to be a lethal opponent. Compliments came plenty for her skills in physical combat, but there was slight notes of criticism for her aggressiveness and energy consumption; she’d wasted time trying to wear Byleth down, when she’d known Byleth had more endurance. Focus and perseverance were things she had to work on. Though a part of her wouldn’t admit it, Edelgard found herself looking forward to practice sessions with Byleth.

Placing that report aside, Edelgard skimmed through the rest. Hubert’s updates were on a positive note -- good, they’d be prepared for the coming war...Dorothea’s spies weren’t able to find any news on Rhea’s movements...Hm, not so good…

Then Edelgard balked as she saw Dorothea’s small note at the end of her report.

_ “Strike Team” isn’t that great of a name, Edie. Can’t you come up with something with a little more flair?  _

She’d signed it in her delicate, elegant cursive, the end of the  _ e _ ending with a little heart, and she’d had the gall to put a little smiley face too.

Edelgard sat there. Strike Team was a cool name! It was what everyone else called their personal team! What was wrong with it? Was there a cooler name she could come up with? Hubert had said he’d thought it was great.

Then again, it was Hubert. Hubert would say dead bodies were great, too.

Just as Edelgard was hyperfixated on Dorothea’s note, the gears in her brain churning a mile a minute to figure out what could possibly be a cooler name, did she hear a little rustle from underneath her bed.

So Edelgard looked over the side of her bed to see Byleth’s pulling herself out from underneath it, pushing herself up onto her arms to look up at Edelgard.

“Your Maj--” Byleth started, but so startled was Edelgard that Edelgard did the one and only instinctive thing she could do at that moment.

She thrust her foot out and kicked Byleth in the face.

And Byleth was knocked out cold, landing flat back on the floor.

Clutching her blanket to her chest, heart rapidly beating, Edelgard blurted, “I’m so sorry--”

The Emperor had many skeletons in her closet, but she didn’t think she’d ever have a Byleth underneath her bed. And now she had a knocked out Byleth in her bedroom.

Putting two and two together, Edelgard figured Byleth had taken her second assignment seriously -- to attempt another mock assassination. How she’d gotten into the room, Edelgard really had no idea (she’d gotten Randolph to properly affix a real code on the hidden passageway), but she couldn’t just pick Byleth up and take her outside. The guards would have a fit and there’d be talk! And she couldn’t just throw Byleth over her shoulder and carry her through the secret passageway -- that was just inviting risk.

So Edelgard did the one and only thing that she could do.

She got off her bed, dragged the rest of Byleth out from underneath, picked Byleth up in her arms (she struggled for a second, Byleth was kind of  _ tall, _ and she had to ignore the way Byleth’s chest was so... _ like that) _ and then put Byleth on her bed.

Then Edelgard sat back against her pillows again, glancing at the unconscious assassin lying at her side.

Now she was the one awaiting for her sleeping companion to awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For people wondering how I always picture Edelgard/Byleth fighting, it's this fight scene from ip man 3: https://youtu.be/pIarVZIX_Mg?t=282  
100% I imagine the martial arts combat to be like literally any ip man fight scene LOL (for posterity, this table scene fight is also an inspiration for them fighting: https://youtu.be/YWPOnqKPAro?t=168 )
> 
> and for people who want a taste of Edeleth in martial combat where it's not them beating the shit out of each other, I imagine them like this ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD136QEAw7c
> 
> i'm really sad bc i actually wrote like 3 pages of the group fight scene between Byleth + Beagles (which is why i was watching ip man for fight inspiration) but then I realized it contributed absolutely nothing to the plot other than Byleth beating the shit out of everyone and Byleth getting the shit kind of beaten out of her but less so lmao (also b/c Byleth knows -- the Beagles don't perform that well in a team w/out a leader. she was trying to gauge what they would all be like w/out Edelgard to guide them) i also imagine it's been a couple years since they've been together together, so though they're all good individually, the strike team needs some polish altogether
> 
> (also please ignore plot holes considering timing in this fic,,,, me hurriedly putting pieces of cheese over all my plot holes it's ok u guys!!! there's nothign to see hereE!!! just ignore plot holes!! i don't think in this fic i'll ever address the mystery of sothis to byleth -- that'd probly be somethign they figure out during the war portion lol so sothis will just remain as Byleth's weird spirit ghost)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew!! thanks for all those who've commented, I really appreciate you guys' thoughts and i am again very surprised people are following and liking this fic that was only meant to be a one-shot LOL i was reading other edeleth fics and was like oh no!! i hope my fic isn't similar to everyone else's i feel bad jkhdfgdf repeating the same things over and over
> 
> thanks for all your support, again and enjoy
> 
> i've been a little busy lately with work + i'm taking classes at the same time so if updates are irregular. that's why lol gomen

It took around an hour, but Byleth did indeed awaken.

During that single, agonizing hour, Edelgard sat in her bed, knees drawn up to her chest, shooting futile glances over at her sleeping assassin. The thought had crossed her mind to do what Lindhardt had taught her once and resuscitate Byleth, but when she’d leaned over Byleth and cupped Byleth’s face in her hands and brought her face close, lips parted to say the spell—

Her face had been on fire the entire time, and she’d jerked away, her palms sweating, trying to look anywhere else in her bedroom but Byleth.

She could do  _ some _ spells. She didn’t think she could — or would — do that one. At least, not on...someone...that pretty...up close…

Edelgard clapped her hands to her cheeks, inhaling a sharp, deep breath. She had to get it together. She couldn’t have Byleth waking up and seeing her in such a frazzled state. It was time to be  _ Emperor. _

An Emperor who’d just kicked her assassin in the face.

Practicing her breathing techniques, Edelgard hyperfocused on a wrinkle in her bedsheet, counting up to ten and back down. Think logically; when Byleth woke up, she would apologize, ask for forgiveness, and then confirm that Byleth had simply been following her orders. 

And then what?

Just tell Byleth to leave?

That thought made Edelgard a little unsure, and she bit her lip. It wouldn’t feel right to just...dismiss her. Maybe Edelgard could talk to her a little more…

Truth be told, Edelgard kind of wanted to. Byleth had such a soft, soothing voice. Gentle, and each word carried on her lips like a leaf on a kind breeze. 

And though Byleth was unconscious, Edelgard — after knowing the full extent of Byleth’s fighting prowess — had to say that she was probably in the most secure, safest place in the castle with Byleth at her side. If a true assassin were to come in — and Byleth were awake — Edelgard had enough confidence to say that Byleth would probably have the upperhand.

She felt...safe. It was a bizarre feeling, and Edelgard chuckled at herself. How strange she would feel safest next to the most dangerous person she knew.

Looking over at Byleth’s sleeping face, Edelgard bit her lip. It was so strange to see the dissonance of Byleth up close. Hints of scars were here and there across Byleth’s skin, where Edelgard could see on her forearms, her collarbones, but overall...She still looked so plain and simple, in her unremarkable shirt and pants. No one would ever guess Byleth had been named a demon by the commonfolk.

As Edelgard pondered over her thoughts of Byleth, she was startled when Byleth shifted, the minute squinting of her eyes as she blinked awake.

“Byleth?” Edelgard asked, unconsciously leaning closer.

Byleth said nothing for a moment, glancing at Edelgard before slowly shifting up into a sitting position; once she’d done so, she looked over at Edelgard, her expression once more unreadable.

“Your Majesty,” Byleth said, as if she hadn’t just been kicked in the face and knocked out for an hour. “You look worried.”

“Because I am? Are you alright?” Edelgard shifted closer, peering into Byleth’s face; thankfully her foot hadn’t left a mark, but she was still concerned. It was hard to tell with Byleth, sometimes, if she was simply masking her emotions or if she was feeling nothing at all.

“Yes, I am fine. That was a good kick, Your Majesty.”

A little exasperated, Edelgard said, “Really, Byleth, you don’t need to compliment me.”

“Oh.”

“You’re certain you’re alright? A concussion? Are you dizzy? I have some water--”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Byleth blinked. “Is there something on my face, Your Majesty? You’re very close.”

Without thinking about it, Edelgard had moved closer, so close their faces were inches apart. So close, that Edelgard was dead certain she could count Byleth’s eyelashes, could see the very, very faint scar on her forehead, the little, little baby scar on the corner of her lips.

“Are you alright?” asked Byleth, completely unperturbed by the Emperor so close.

Heart rebounding in her chest, Edelgard attempted to gracefully move away but instead found herself awkwardly jerking away and then reaching a hand out to grab onto Byleth’s shoulder for balance. Finding her tongue, Edelgard said, “Yes, yes, um, yes, I’m fine! I’m fine. I’m glad you’re fine. It’s fine. Um, to get to the point of the matter,” trying to pick a thought from her random haywire brain, Edelgard said, “H-how did you get into my bedroom this time?”

“Oh, yes.” Byleth put a finger to her chin. “Lindhardt got me in.”

_ “Excuse _ me?  _ Linhardt?” _ Surprised, Edelgard pulled her hand away, this time crossing her arms, a smite bit of irritation in her voice. But of course it’d be Linhardt...and Edelgard suspected she knew why.

“Linhardt treated me at the infirmary. He asked me if I had a crest. Hubert told me about them, but I don’t know if I have one. Linhardt said he could check me for one, and which kind.” Byleth then answered Edelgard’s unasked question. “I told him he could, if he could help me sneak into your room. He didn’t seem to mind, so I hid on the dinner cart while he brought it inside.”

Closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, Edelgard breathed in deeply. Damn Linhardt and his insatiable curiosity. Of course he’d make a literal deal with a demon. She’d talk to him later.

“And then you...hid under my bed.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“There was nowhere else to hide, Your Majesty.” Though Byleth’s tone remained neutral, Edelgard couldn’t help but feel like Byleth was stating the very obvious.

“You couldn’t have sat by the bed like last time?”

At that, Byleth glanced away, the slight hunch of her shoulders showing just a little sheepishness. “You seemed...distressed, when you caught me sitting there before. I did not want to frighten you again.”

“So...you hid under my bed.”

“Yes. I was going to wait until you were asleep again, and leave a note behind to say that I was here. But…” Byleth shifted on the bed, twining her fingers together; this was the closest Edelgard had ever seen Byleth in some kind of anxious state.

“...But?”

“I got tired of waiting under the bed. The carpet is very uncomfortable. I apologize.”

Somehow, Byleth’s answer -- it was so  _ human -- _ made Edelgard give a little giggle, and she pressed a hand over her mouth. That hadn’t quite been the answer she was expecting, but finally finding something so... _ human _ about Byleth made her a little less strange, a little less a mystery. When she looked up, she found Byleth with a very small smile of her own; that warmed her heart a little.

“That’s quite alright, and understandable, Byleth.” Chuckling, Edelgard combed her fingers through her long, white hair. When she glanced at Byleth again though, it seemed like her assassin had something else to say. “Yes, Byleth?”

“I...also came out because…” Bylet’s words were hesitant, like a tentative bird’s. That made Edelgard frown.

“You can speak to me honestly and as forthright as you wish, Byleth. I’m always happy to hear what you have to say. Your opinion is valuable to me, after all.”

“Oh.” Glancing away, Byleth twined her fingers together again, a hint of uncertainty coming across from the small furrow of her brow, the slightest frown from her lips. There was certainly something on Byleth’s mind, but Edelgard let there be a moment of silence between them. Best to let Byleth have her space and thoughts; it seemed like she was coming out to say something rather important, judging from her anxiousness.

“I...as you were napping, I noticed that you were...tossing, and turning, like before.” Byleth paused, as if she were treading carefully over her next few words. “You...don’t like to sleep, do you?”

Once again, Edelgard felt a cold bead of sweat on the back of her neck. Maybe Byleth’s acute observations was something that she would have to take in stride. She couldn’t shy away from a person who could quite literally infiltrate her bedroom, and see her in her most vulnerable state. 

In a second, Edelgard processed several pieces of information.

If Edelgard wanted Byleth to discontinue asking her probing, personal questions, she could. But a tight twist of her stomach made her feel guilt at that idea...Shutting Byleth out was a cold move.

If she asked Byleth to stop the mock assassinations, Edelgard would lose out on potential training that she might sorely need in the coming future. She needed any edge she could get over her enemies. Cutting corners was just asking to have her own throat slit. The odds were just that close.

But...If she wanted Byleth to continue mock assassinating her, it was only to be expected that Byleth would try to assassinate her in her most open, unguarded states. Namely, when she was asleep, or when she was alone (which she wasn’t often, thanks to Hubert’s presence, and the number of guards roaming the castle).

With this information, Edelgard bit her lip. The only way forward…

“I...I don’t. I don’t enjoy sleeping.” Admitting the truth aloud made Edelgard’s gut twist a little. She was never one to reveal her emotions to people, but when she looked into Byleth’s face and saw someone completely free of judgment, only concern in those blue eyes, Edelgard felt her armor loosen a little. “I...tend to get...Um…”

The bed shifted slightly as Byleth crossed her legs, placing her hands in her lap as she focused her full attention on her Emperor. Having Byleth’s eyes on her made Edelgard a little light of breath; she had to look away, stare at a wrinkle in the bedsheet to continue.

“I...I get nightmares, often. Almost every time I sleep, really, unless I’m too exhausted to dream,” Edelgard said quietly. She bunched a bit of her blanket in her fist, knuckles white. “And, as you’ve seen very well, I’m completely exposed and defenseless when I sleep. I can’t defend myself from my mind, and I can’t fight external factors like yourself unless I wake up.” She took in a shuddering breath. “I hate feeling like that the most.”

Byleth said nothing, and Edelgard felt grateful. She didn’t know what she was expecting or what she wanted Byleth to say, but having silence let her have the space to think properly.

“The nightmares aren’t...pleasant. That’s a given, but...you recall, where I put you in the dungeons?” Edelgard chanced a look at Byleth and saw her nod. “Then you should know that you’re not the only person who’s been chained there. I’ve been.”

Minute surprise crossed Byleth’s face, the slight parting of her lips; but her expression went back to neutrality a beat later as she let Edelgard continue.

“All of those dungeons, actually -- maybe you’ve seen them in the castle blueprints -- they’re not what they appear. There’s other rooms connected to each one, each was meant for a specific...purpose. I’ve been to all of them. I was a prisoner here, in this castle, for...most of my childhood.” Now Edelgard’s heart was a rapid hammer in her chest, fueled by blood pulsating with fury, tainted with despair as she recalled those times she’d forgotten what the sun looked like. “That’s what my nightmares are of. When I was trapped down there, in each of those rooms.” 

Unconsciously, Edelgard let go of the blanket and brushed her fingers over the scars over her other wrist.

Byleth caught her doing so, and Edelgard was startled when she heard Byleth whisper, “They hurt you there?”

Her throat suddenly dry, Edelgard looked up to see Byleth’s expression, and it caught her off guard.

There was that look in Byleth’s eyes again, from their earlier battle. A  _ fire. _

But it was different too; this was a different kind of light in Byleth’s eyes. This was... _ anger. _ Then Edelgard noticed how tense Byleth was, her hands turned to hard fists in her lap, her shoulders stiff, how she’d leaned forward a little. There was a different flame inside Byleth now, one that made Edelgard feel a shiver down her spine. Now she knew another reason as to why people called Byleth a demon.

So focused was she on Byleth’s demeanor that Edelgard forgot to respond, but Byleth seemed to take her silence as an answer. Byleth’s expression shifted, another flame sparking in her eyes as she straightened up and resolution and resolve became set in her face, in her jaw.

“I want to help you, Your Majesty.”

Those words had Edelgard taken aback. She hadn’t even fully explained what’d happened to her; she’d expected to have to tell Byleth more about crests, about the experiments done on her, about...the ones who’d done that all to her and her siblings.

Maybe Byleth had seemed to read her in return. Byleth, giving her reprieve from telling everything in one night.

“Help me?” Edelgard asked, and she hated that her voice sounded so...unlike an Emperor’s. She sounded young, raw. “You already are--”

“No. I can do better.” Byleth looked down, biting her own lip, before she looked back up at Edelgard again. “You said you don’t have nightmares when you’re exhausted. And you said you don’t like sleeping because you’re defenseless.”

Edelgard suddenly followed exactly where Byleth’s logic was going, and she sat there, stunned and speechless. The absolute  _ audacity-- _

“Your Majesty, may I fight you tonight?”

Whiplash hit Edelgard hard, and she blinked. Byleth...wasn’t going to ask if she could sleepover?

“You...want to fight me?” What?” Edelgard said, breathless. Count unpredictability as yet another one of Byleth’s bizarre traits.

“Yes, until you’re so exhausted, you pass out, and you don’t dream. That way I can also improve my skills, and serve you to the best of my ability.” Byleth nodded, as if she’d figured out the perfect plan.

It took Edelgard a couple of seconds to think on it, because in her tired, stressed state, she really did have to think on it. What if she and Byleth started brawling in her bedroom? Byleth could just knock her out cold, and maybe she wouldn’t have nightmares then.

Oh  _ no,  _ but wait! The noise. The guards outside. Edelgard’s heart shot straight to her throat and then dunked into her stomach. She could only imagine the rumors, and she could only imagine the look on Dorothea’s face. What if the guards opened the door and saw her and Byleth  _ sweaty-- _

“Um, actually, let’s not do that! Let’s not,” Edelgard sputtered.

“You don’t want to fight?”

“N-no! But, look, I think I have another idea.” Thinking of Dorothea reminded of Edelgard of one way to bring her to the brink of exhaustion. They’d had late night teas back at Garreg Mach, the two of them having long conversations about nobility, politics, this and that. Being a commoner, Edelgard had taken a liking to Dorothea and her perspective; she’d been absolutely invaluable to Edelgard’s policies, and she’d been a great friend and confidante. More than once Hubert had found the two of them slouched in one or the other’s rooms, passed out cold after a long night of talking.

Maybe…

If she was going to do this, she might as well get comfortable. Edelgard laid down on her side, and she pat the pillow next to her. “Byleth, lie down. Let’s just talk.”

“Talk?” Byleth’s eyebrows went up a little, but she nonetheless did as Edelgard asked. The two of them put the blanket over themselves, and in the dimness of the bedroom with only candlelight illuminating their faces, a soft golden glow settled gently over them both.

“Yes. For me, just talking late enough that I pass out helps. I notice that you know a lot about me, Byleth, but I don’t know a lot about you. Tell me about yourself.” Already being in such a comfortable position made Edelgard feels a little weight on her eyelids, but she wasn’t close to passing out just yet. Maybe this could work. Talk until she got tired…And Byleth was here...she felt...safe...

“Oh.” Byleth blinked. “What do you want to know, Your Majesty?”

“First, Byleth, you can just call me Edelgard. I think we’ve reached that point.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Pressing a hand to her mouth to repress a yawn, Edelgard continued, “If I’m going to have you talk me to sleep every night, I think it’s fitting that I call you my friend.” And it felt fitting that Byleth had deserved that much. She’d done well in all her assignments; and sooner rather than later, Edelgard would have to include her in her more personal plans.

“Friend,” Byleth said slowly, as if she’d never said the word aloud before. “I’m...honored. Edelgard.”

“Mhm. Tell me...about how you learned to fight.”

It took Edelgard and Byleth a while to get a conversation going, as it seemed like Byleth was unused to having long talks with people -- but once Edelgard got her to open up a little, she learned so much more about her enigmatic assassin. Jeralt had taught her swordsmanship, but mercenary friends had come around to teach Byleth of other fighting styles. Though sword was Byleth’s preference, she had knowledge in Almyran archery, in Faerghus lancework. She named other cultures that Edelgard was faintly familiar with, but still Edelgard found it strange that Byleth had remained so ignorant on the actual politics of each nation.

Rubbing an eye with a fist, Edelgard said, “Your father truly never made an effort to teach you?”

“He considered it unnecessary. He wanted me to learn how to survive, to fight. He never expected me to be engaged in politics.”

Edelgard let out something half between a snort and a chuckle. “He had great foresight then, I see.” Not that Edelgard was complaining. Survival would be their utmost priority soon enough.

They spoke at greater length of other things in Byleth’s life, like her penchant for fishing, her favorite foods -- anything, really -- and other small things. The lightweight nature of their topics made Edelgard’s thoughts calm a little...she could focus on something trivial, unimportant. For just those moments, she felt...lighter. Like...someone normal. Not an Emperor, weighed by a nation, But just...a girl talking to her friend.

A really weird friend, but a friend nonetheless. It was comforting.

And she felt safe, too, with Byleth at her side.

In the middle of Byleth recounting a story of Jeralt and her fighting a bear, did Edelgard catch herself dozing, her eyes drooping...The sound of Byleth’s voice was so soft…It was just so nice to listen to, a quiet and gentle lull...

\---

For a half hour more after Edelgard fell asleep, Byleth lay there, pensively staring at Edelgard’s sleeping face. Perhaps she’d succeeded at her task, for Edelgard was breathing much easier, and she hadn’t tossed or turned at all.

So when Byleth shifted to push herself up and to get off the bed, did Sothis abruptly hiss in her ear, “What are you doing?!”

Unwilling to make a sound to wake Edelgard, Byleth paused, a questioning look on her face.

“You’re thinking of leaving, aren’t you?” Sothis said, floating above her.

Byleth nodded.

Rolling her eyes and letting out a dramatic sigh, Sothis muttered, “You really are a baby.” Louder, she said, “Byleth, you don’t want to wake Edelgard up, do you? What if you open the secret passage door and it creaks and wakes her up?”

That thought hadn’t occurred to her. She couldn’t do anything to wake Edelgard up. She wouldn’t.

“Stay here with her, Byleth,” Sothis commanded. “You’ll keep her safe, won’t you?”

Byleth nodded.

“Then just stay here and sleep here with Edelgard. I’ll wake you up when dawn comes, and then you can leave before the guards or the maids or whoever comes in.”

Sothis’ logic made perfect sense. It was super late and it’d take time for Byleth to get back to her house outside the palace -- especially without being seen. There were patrols out on the grounds now too...Perhaps she would just sleep here with Edelgard. Her bed was also...so soft.

And she looked so soft too. This close, Edelgard’s beauty seemed only magnified ten fold.

“Good night, Byleth,” Sothis said as Byleth settled back down next to Edelgard, closing her eyes. Exhaustion overcame her -- she’d had a long day too -- and sleep came to her quickly, as it always did.

Under her breath, quietly enough that Byleth wouldn’t hear, Sothis said, “Lovestruck fool.” But she said that with a smile, shaking her head, and then she faded away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter got WAYYYY longer than intended but I couldn't help myself with the edeleth ... i really want their relationship to build up realistically?? smoothly?? even tho in el's C-1 support she kinda tells u right then and there her nightmares LOL but here i'll keep the bits and pieces spread out a little. in my mind if el's hard to trust people then she won't tell everything about herself just yet and I feel like Byleth would sense that el's reluctant to tell everything. she's a good gf and she listens to her emperor :')
> 
> now that i have some eDELETH established next chapter i can move some plot aGAIN because i thought i was gonna do it here but i lied!! it's jsut all edeleth and some extra fluff edeleth i didn't need to do BUT HERE IT IS some edeleth that i didn't need to do LOL
> 
> also me crying at the tropes i love: OH NO THERE'S ONLY ONE BED!!! oh no ONE OF THEM IS TOO TIRED TO CARE!! edelgard just caving in to her gay feelings bc shes tired is a mood lmao


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my gOD i'm so sorry this took so long to get out I know it's been a month but since that month there was thanksgiving and then i had a work conference and then i had charaexpo anD THEN I HAD WORK DEADLINES AND THEN I HAD CLASS AND perSONAL PROBLEMS anD GBF GRINDING FOR ETERNALS ANd now i have to prepare for a trip to japan so this fic again won't be updated for a while i'm so soRRY i've just been really (robin young justice voice) whelmed and feeling the aster b/c it's JUST EVERTYING HAPPENS SO MUCH
> 
> thanks so much to everyone holding out for this fic!! i promise i really do want to finish this i'm so close to the end i can almost taste it LOL

When Edelgard awoke the next morning, finding herself oddly refreshed, she found her bedside empty and a note lying on her nightstand. She picked it up, and her heart did a little skip when she read its contents.

_ I hope you slept well, Edelgard, and I hope to see you again soon. -Byleth _

Edelgard didn’t know why, but she couldn’t fight back the smile on her face, the little blush of warmth to her cheeks. A beat later, she felt embarrassment; she was acting like a schoolgirl all over again. Some little note written in strangely neat and elegant handwriting surely couldn’t have this powerful of an affect on her. It was just a note! Nothing more.

But,  _ oh, _ Byleth hoped to see her again soon.

Logically, Edelgard knew that Byleth hoped to see her at training, which made sense. Illogically, Edelgard couldn’t help but interpret that as Byleth enjoyed seeing her.

Edelgard took in a deep breath, trying to get her heart to slow. She had to think practically; it was just a note! Just a note.

Calming herself, Edelgard went about getting ready for her day.

If only Edelgard knew that Byleth’s words would only do more and mean more to her, as time went on.

\---

And time did, ceaseless and unforgiving.

With a coming war on the horizon, Edelgard knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to tell her closest friends and allies just exactly what she was planning. She had a faint suspicion that Lindhardt and Dorothea -- the more perceptive of the Strike Team -- already knew what lay ahead in their future, but Edelgard made plans anyway to find a private place to tell the rest of the team. It had to be done before the ball she was planning to celebrate her ascension to the throne -- that was the day Edelgard planned to publicly announce her declaration of war on the Church of Seiros. It would be a prime time to do so; having everyone gathered in one place would disseminate the news faster, and she’d be able to hand out her manifesto then and there too.

But before then, she had much to do; as did everyone else.

\---

Byleth kept busy in the coming weeks; Edelgard was not a lenient emperor, despite her kindness, and each of Byleth’s days were filled with numerous practice sessions with the Strike Team, or coordinating mock battles with Jeralt and the troops. Edelgard had not lied about her Strike Team’s members being massively formidable; more than once Edelgard had insisted on throwing one or two of them at an entire troop of soldiers, with unusually positive results.

Thankfully, it was results that Edelgard seemed satisfied with; however Byleth trained the Strike Team members, Edelgard seemed to like it. That brought Byleth a degree of pride, knowing she’d pleased her liege lord, but there was still improvement to be done. The Strike Team’s members had considerably improved over the weeks, each of them more lethal in their area of expertise, with side knowledge of other forms of combat to make up for their weaknesses.

In that time that Byleth was so keenly training with each member of the team, she got to know them better.

Bernadetta came out her shell slowly over time, but seemed to warm up to Byleth when Byleth realized that a traditional, physical training regiment caused her a good deal of distress and fear (Bernie squeaked something or other about Garreg Mach’s supposedly terrifying ‘hands-on’ approach of training by sending students at live bandits). Instead, the two practiced meditation and seamless forms of acrobatic movements, which taught Bernie to calm herself in battle and to focus herself better. In doing so, her aim with the bow became nigh impeccable, and even Byleth found it hard to dodge her shots sometimes. 

Over the weeks, Byleth came to learn a little more of Bernie’s past and how Edelgard and Hubert had saved her from her father; when Bernie spoke of that, a rare smile came to her face. Yet another deed of Edelgard’s that showed the kind heart underneath her unflinching armor.

Caspar was filled to the brim with enthusiasm, excitement, and eagerness. He threw himself into each of Byleth’s sparring sessions with vigor, always a wide grin on his face. In doing so, however, he possessed a rather one-track mind, tunnel visioning in on one enemy rather than gauging the overall flow of a battle. It took time -- sometimes Caspar was a little slow -- but Byleth figured out a way to make him a better warrior. She’d do it by getting Jeralt and his troops to throw themselves at him at all directions. No better way to learn than by doing it directly. As the brawls went on, Caspar’s punches and kicks became more precise and less wasteful. 

Once, Byleth asked Caspar why he loved fighting so much. The young man had paused, before saying with determination and pride that he wanted to protect all the people he loved. That answer, Byleth could respect, and she found herself thinking much the same thing -- and a certain, beautiful face came to her mind, when she thought of who she wanted to protect (well, Jeralt came to her mind too, but that was after the first person).

Ferdinand seemed a little like Caspar except where Caspar’s energy was honed in on beating people up, Ferdinand’s was focused on his status as one of Edelgard’s lead advisors and on his status as nobility (Byleth had to tune him out after one session when he’d gotten to discussing with her the entire history of Adrestian politics). However, despite his pompous demeanor, he did prove rather skilled with a lance and on horseback. Like Caspar though, he tended to be headstrong and forceful -- to round out his rough edges, Byleth had him vigorously train with Jeralt on leading troops. Supervising people made Ferdinand more aware of risky maneuvers, and he took care of his unit with pride.

Byleth got to know that Ferdinand had a deep love for the Adrestian Empire and its people -- and its Emperor, despite Byleth seeing Ferdinand oftentimes arguing with his lord. When Byleth questioned that, Ferdinand gave a sweeping wave of his hand and ostentatious flip of his hair, saying that only he was given the honor to counsel Edelgard in such a combative way, to give her his differing opinion -- for what ruler would she be if she did not hear all sides of an argument? Oftentimes, Ferdinand admitted, he agreed with Edelgard’s decisions; he only posed the dissenting opinion if only ever to give her another unique perspective, which she took into account. That made Byleth all the more aware that Edelgard, though she ruled with an iron fist, wasn’t averse to opposition...Thus, if Edelgard truly considered someone an enemy…

Despite the sunlight of the practice field, Byleth shivered. By the good grace of Edelgard’s will, she was alive today. Byleth made a mental note to try and find a gift for Edelgard in thanks. Maybe she could hear Edelgard laugh again…

Linhardt, on the other hand, spent most of his days cooped up in his personal lab in the castle. He came out on occasion to practice magic with Hubert and Dorothea, if both were available, but Byleth understood that he disliked combat and preferred being on the backlines, healing and supporting. In that regard, Byleth did her best to respect that -- namely, by calling on him whenever a particular practice session with the other Strike Team members got a little intense. He’d come over and sigh, then bend down and heal up the party before stepping back once more. A few times, Byleth let him experiment with new spells here and there that seemed to rapidly improve and rejuvenate a person at a far better pace than old healing spells (the primary subject of the experiments being herself, which she didn’t mind and nor did Linhardt. She hasn’t died yet!).

He made passing mentions of figuring out her crest, of which she seemed to have one. However, Linhardt chewed on his cheek, deep in thought. Something about Byleth’s crest was strange; muttering to himself, he said something like he’d need more time to investigate.

The other two mages -- Hubert and Dorothea -- seemed more caught up in duties and assignments for their Emperor, so Byleth didn’t see them as often as she did the other members of the Team. Even so, Hubert took her advice on leading troops and increasing morale to heart (he seemed to struggle with not looking terrifying). For Dorothea, she proved rather adept at swordwork, and she seemed to like Byleth a good deal.

Petra was an absolute marvel of a warrior to fight, and Byleth looked forward to her sessions with Petra almost as much as she did her sessions with Edelgard. The Queen of Brigid was every inch a fearsome combatant, wielding the sword with a proficiency close to Byleth’s. The two exchanged strategies and combat moves between the cultures they’d learned from, a mixture of Fodlan tactics mixed with Brigidian and others. Petra seemed to take to learning all of this with enthusiasm, and she was incredibly receptive to Byleth’s feedback.

Still, over the weeks, Byleth asked why Petra and her wife, Dorothea -- also the official Brigidian ambassador -- hadn’t yet returned to Brigid. Were they allowed to spend this long away from the kingdom?

Wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, Petra shook her head, pursing her lips. She appeared thoughtful for a brief moment. “There is...a Brigidian superstition. I...cannot explain it fully, in the Fodlan language, but it is similar to a hunch?” Petra said, with a raised brow.

Byleth nooded, listening.

“I have visited Edelgard once a year, but this is the first time I see her like...the way she is now,” Petra said slowly, as if she were choosing her words with carefulness. “Before, we spoke of politics and other things related to our kingdoms. But this time now, she has been having additional discussions with me.” Petra gave a brief glance around, stepping closer to Byleth, and Byleth did the same. More quietly, she continued, “We still talk of politics, and trade. But she has been asking about...Brigidian wartime strategies.”

Byleth pursed her lips. Another sign that Edelgard was up to something. But what? Was it about...Rhea?

“I sense that Edelgard is preparing for a battle, but I do not know who she is planning on battling.” Petra toed the grass with her foot, deep in thought. “I sense that she does not want to bring Brigid into it, so she is only asking for my advice, instead of wanting Brigidian forces. But whatever it is...I want to help her.”

Petra paused, and Byleth gave her the space to continue.

“...That is why I have stayed here, for a little longer than usual. The Brigidian Council can take care of things while I am away,” Petra said. “Until Edelgard tells me of...what she wants to tell me, I will remain, as will Dorothea.” Idly, Petra slid a dagger from her vambrace and began fiddling with it, twirling it around in her hand. “When the time comes, if I must leave, Dorothea will stay.”

Processing all this information, Byleth simply gave another nod, her grip tightening on the handle of her sword. If it was a battle that Edelgard was barreling towards, then Byleth had to make sure she was at her best...And truth be told, she wanted to prove herself to the Strike Team as well. She’d become closer to all of them, enough that maybe she could call them friends too. Friends...

“Thank you for telling me all this, Petra.”

“It is no problem. I enjoy talking to you.” Petra flashed a bright smile. “Edelgard was right to save you. You are kind and patient. I understand why she likes you.”

“I like her too.”

At that, Petra giggled, tossing her dagger in the air and catching it by the hilt. “I am glad to hear of that, Byleth. I like that you are very honest.”

Now Byleth couldn’t help her own, small smile. “I like that about you too. And, speaking of honesty, your form when you’re dual-wielding daggers…” 

\---

From the ramparts, above the practice field where Byleth and Petra stood speaking to one another, there sat an Emperor and an ambassador having their own, private discussion.

“Ooh, I always love this part,” Dorothea purred, lifting a pair of opera binoculars to her eyes and getting a good view down below. Byleth and Petra had gotten into battle stances, the two of them with practice daggers in each hand. “What a wonderful view, don’t you agree, Edie?”

Edelgard, busy at reviewing some reports in her lap, gave a nod. “Mhm.”

“Edie.” Dorothea huffed, casting a glance over at her friend. “Come on. When I said we should do work outside, I meant that you should get a breath of fresh air, enjoy the view.”

“I’m a little busy at the moment.” Edelgard scrawled her signature across a form, then immediately put it aside and got to work reading another. General logistics for an Empire required more of her time than she liked, but she had to do what had to be done.

Dorothea sighed, lowering her binoculars. With a frown, she said, “I thought you usually had Ferdie or Hubie do those kinds of tasks.”

“I’ve let Ferdinand have the day off to visit townsfolk off in the countryside. He told me the children in the schools miss him.” Edelgard scrawled a note in the margin of one of the forms. “Hubert is busy doing other tasks I’ve assigned to him.”

‘Other tasks’ centered on deeper espionage and investigations into the Rhea’s movements and their lesser known, shadowed allies’ movements. For the time being, those who worked in the dark were on their side, but Edelgard wasn’t one to make assumptions. Having Hubert tail them and keep an eye on them made sure that Edelgard knew they weren’t performing anymore experiments like they’d done on herself. Rhea, in the meanwhile, seemed to have made no move since she’d sent that one assassination contract; perhaps she was lying in wait for her next move…

“Other tasks, hm?” Dorothea pursed her lips, sitting back against her seat. She gave a cursory glance around; where the two of them sat on the ramparts was relatively deserted, aside from a few guards standing just far enough out of earshot. 

Even so, Dorothea switched to speaking Brigidian, and she said softly, “Tasks related to starting a war?”

The quill in Edelgard’s hand abruptly snapped, and Edelgard jerked her face up to see Dorothea appraising her with a calculated, focused look.

Since they’d left the Academy and Dorothea had been assigned her post as Ambassador, Edelgard had seen fit to have her spy network speak multiple languages -- Brigidian being one of them. It allowed their encoded notes to go through a second level of translation, making their communication just that much harder to decipher for their enemies. On a more personal note, the Black Eagles House had all made the effort to learn Brigidian for Petra, to make her feel less alone. Edelgard had taken pride in mastering Brigidian.

But now, with Dorothea speaking it at this moment...Edelgard felt the shift in the air around them, how it chilled just the slightest degree. There was no hint of a joke in Dorothea’s face, nor any sign of amusement in her gaze; she’d pieced the puzzle together on her own, and now she wanted answers.

Straightening up, Edelgard met Dorothea’s gaze headon. Continuing in Brigidian, she replied, “And why are you thinking that?”

“I’m not blind or deaf, Edie.” Dorothea looked back out to the training grounds, where Petra and Byleth had continued sparring. “You gave me spies, and my spies in the acting troupe tell me you have been moving the Empire’s troops.”

“That is normal.”

“Maybe. But Jeralt the Blade Breaker training your troops is not normal.”

Edelgard clasped her hands in her lap, tossing aside her ruined quill. No point filling out menial forms now. “Why is that not normal?”

“Why would a country at peace, with no sign of war in the future, need to have soldiers trained by Jeralt the Blade Breaker?” Though Dorothea’s gaze was on the training field, Edelgard could tell she wasn’t looking at Petra nor Byleth. “So far, your soldiers have been trained well by standard instructors. What is the need for a legend to train your troops?”

Edelgard said nothing.

Hubert was her spymaster, but Dorothea reported to him at a secondary position; it was only inevitable that Dorothea, with her own network of spies, would see something amiss underneath the tangled web and mask of everyday Empire duties. She’d always been far, far too perceptive; Hubert called it both a blessing and a curse.

“And why would you feel the need to have a master assassin train your old Strike Team?” This time Dorothea looked over at her Emperor. “Ferdinand and Caspar and everyone else may be fooled into thinking that you just want them trained to keep them alert, but I think there is more to it.”

Biting her lip, Edelgard too turned her head to look at the field down below. She saw Byleth and Petra furiously exchanging a flurry of blows, hands and daggers a blur between them, sheens of sweat on their brows as they danced in the grass.

“There...is more.” Edelgard clenched and unclenched her fist, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to say -- and in another language, no less. “Remember when I asked you to find a place for the Strike Team to have a retreat, before the ball?”

“Hm. Yes. I found a place.” Dorothea left her unasked question in the air.

“The retreat is where...I intend to...explain everything.” Edelgard saw Byleth disarm one of Petra’s daggers, leaving Petra with one to shield herself with and to attack with. Answering Dorothea, Edelgard said, “I promise. I will explain. Please trust me, until then.”

“...Do you plan on bringing Brigid into your war?”

It was a valid question.

“Only if Petra wills it. What I have...in mind. It is for Fodlan, and its future. I cannot say more.” It was strictly a Church and Fodlan matter, anyway. Whether Brigid wanted to intervene and assist with a foreign land’s politics was up to Petra; Edelgard would not involve an innocent party if she could avoid it.

Edelgard heard Dorothea give a heavy and deep sigh. “Edie, I do trust you. Just...please trust us, too.”

“I will. I mean it. I will tell you at the retreat, everything.”

“I will hold you to that.”

For a moment, there was silence between the old friends, the two of them watching Petra and Byleth proceed through a lengthy fight that had Byleth emerge the victor. As Byleth helped Petra off the ground, Edelgard couldn’t help but hone in on that flex of Byleth’s arm as she gripped Petra’s hand, and then when the two of them strode across the field, lit by sunlight, every glistening drop of sweat on their skin shone even from a distance -- and as Dorothea had said, the view was... _ very  _ nice.

Dorothea made a sound half between a cough and a laugh. Switching back to their native language, she said, “Wow, all it took for you to enjoy the view was a serious conversation.”

“I-I’m, I’m not--”

“Speaking of things you don’t want to discuss, you and Byleth, huh?” Dorothea put on a whimsical smile, leaning back in her chair, a hand on her chin as she gave a red-faced Edelgard a sly wink.

“We’re not anything!” Edelgard blurted, but her voice came out an octave just too high.

“Mhm. Edie, please. Byleth may be a top tier assassin, but it doesn’t mean she’s perfect. A little bird’s told me that  _ someone _ seems to be in your chambers late at night.”

Edelgard mentally branded a note in her mind to figure out which of her guards was eavesdropping outside her bedroom door; and here Edelgard had thought for the past few nights that she and Byleth had been quiet enough that no one would ever guess there was ever another person in her bedroom…

For after that first night, Edelgard had attempted the second night to fall asleep on her own -- to no avail, only to experience the unwelcome return of yet another nightmare. The next day, she’d balled up what courage she had and made a discreet request to Byleth that Byleth visit her again at night like before -- they established a secret knock on the hidden passageway door that would let Edelgard know it was Byleth, and then the two would once again get to spending the night talking to each other, with light talks and small giggles. It’d been about two weeks since they’d started doing this, and since then, Edelgard has had restful, rejuvenating slumbers every night. Who knew that getting enough sleep meant she’d feel great during the day.

And who knew that in getting to talk with Byleth, in hearing Byleth and her soft voice would make Edelgard feel so at peace.

Meeting Byleth was always such a relief to a whole day of being Emperor; coming and talking to someone who spoke to her and treated her as  _ her, _ and not as someone with the world on their shoulders, made Edelgard end the day on a happy note. Admittedly, the Strike Team too were more familiar and friendlier with her terms than most, but even then, they would always see her as an imperial royal -- Byleth did not.

In that time, Byleth seemed to understand to not prod into Edelgard’s life, which Edelgard was grateful for. Someday, maybe, she’d tell Byleth the full extent of what happened to her -- but for now, she wanted to enjoy her pocket of time with someone as soft and gentle as Byleth. It was strange to think of a master assassin in that way, but as Edelgard listened to Byleth talk about her own life, she couldn’t help but see that despite Byleth’s occupation, she was a strangely tame and tender spirit.

Byleth told Edelgard of her days traveling with her father, when she’d been been so small, just the size of Jeralt’s blade, and she’d tried to swing it around anyway. She spoke of the times she’d found wounded birds and animals in the forest and -- despite getting scratched and pecked at many times -- she’d nursed them back to health before letting them go free. She described the few times she’d taught children in villages how to defend themselves once Jeralt and the mercenaries had to depart -- it wouldn’t do if the village were to be attacked again once they left. 

There were more stories, but Edelgard liked to hear more often of Byleth experiencing things for the first time. Those always made her giggle or laugh, for seeing the world through Byleth’s eyes -- when she’d been ignorant for so long -- made for quite an adventure. Byleth seeing cities, Byleth seeing the ocean, Byleth meeting pegasi. Like always, Byleth was quiet, but over time her tone had become less neutral and monotone and Edelgard began to hear inflections of emotion in her voice -- awe, admiration, surprise.

And more often now, Edelgard got to see Byleth smile, even hear her giggle once or twice.

They’d become closer, no doubt. Edelgard couldn’t deny that.

Back in the present, Edelgard said, “...Dorothea, one, I ask that you stop bribing the guards at my door, otherwise I’ll have to turn over my entire guard. Two, if...I  _ don’t _ deny that someone has been...discussing important matters with me late at night, then will you drop this discussion?”

Dorothea burst out laughing. “You really don’t want to talk about your nonexistent love life, Edie?”

“I-it’s n-not non-existent--” It was, though.

“Alright, alright, I’ll not discuss the matter with you, then,” Dorothea chuckled, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. “Teasing you is always so fun, you know.”

“Damn you, Dorothea.”

“I’ve been damned several times over and I’m still here, dear.” Dorothea raised her binoculars once more to get a good view of Petra and Byleth standing at the nearby water well, tossing buckets of water over themselves to cool off. “But really, though, if you want any advice on dating or anything, just let me kn--”

_ “Thank _ you, Dorothea! I’ll keep that in mind,” Edelgard said hastily, for she heard the sounds of someone approaching -- albeit when she turned and looked out across the ramparts, she saw a flailing, wheezing Linhardt attempting to  _ run _ towards her.

Both Dorothea and Edelgard frowned -- Linhardt  _ never _ ran.

As Linhardt staggered over, panting and heaving, a hand pressed to his chest as he doubled over next to where Edelgard and Dorothea sat, Edelgard asked, “Linhardt, what are you doing?”

“Ed--Edelgard,” he wheezed. “Th--there’s…”

“Wow, I had no idea you could run, Linhardt,” Dorothea said as Linhardt fought to catch his breath. “Is that the first time you’ve ran in the past twenty years?”

Unable to respond, Linhardt raised a single finger at Dorothea, and Dorothea and Edelgard exchanged bemused looks. They gave him a few minutes to recover, in which time he ended up grasping the arm of Edelgard’s chair like a drowning man seeking to find air.

“I’ll just...let you...rest while I continue doing my forms,” Edelgard said, but as she made to take the offered quill from Dorothea, she felt Linhardt’s thin and pale hand abruptly clamp down  _ hard _ on her wrist.

A chill immediately shot up her spine -- Linhardt knew what happened to her, and Linhardt knew that she loathed physical contact.

For him to touch her now--

When Linhardt looked up, Edelgard saw that his face was far,  _ far _ more pale than she’d ever seen it, and there was something almost like  _ haste _ in his gaze. Linhardt never hurried anything, or went faster than a snail’s pace.

“Linhardt? What  _ happened?” _ Edelgard could feel Linhardt’s hand trembling from exertion.

“I-it’s about, Byleth. Her Crest. We…” He coughed, panting. “We need to talk, Your Majesty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not sure when the next chapter will be up b/c i have work deadlines in january too literally right after i get back from japan LOL so gomen to everyone waiting on this fic ... i'm sorry !! i'm really glad and happy to see all the comments to this though it motivates me to finish ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ i WILL BE STRONG
> 
> i'm also like. half sick so sorry for late update again LOL AND i'm so glad i had this chapter i wanted the byleth-edelgard sleepovers for so long and now THEY CAN SLEEPOVER!!! they have had their sleepovers and they are gay...finally,,, but still no physical contact i want them to cuddle so bad but they're not gonna get there for a while lol so as of rn its just. the two of them lay in bed and talk to each other and thats it lol
> 
> also i couldnt help but put doropetra in this because i love them ... they are soft ... also wanted to address a plothole of like WHY IS PETRA STILL HERE so i put some bandaid over the plothole pls ignore plotholes LOL and then when edelgard + dorothea talk in brigidian i wanted them to sound like the way petra sounds when she speaks fodlanese (??) ... so if the dialogue feels stilted, that's why lol (they may be fluent but it doesn't mean they're perfect at brigidian!!)
> 
> thanks again for reading!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW i managed to get this out it's been a very long month for me sorry y'all so i tried to make this chapter a little longer than usual gomen
> 
> thanks so much to everyone reading!! i really appreciate it. especially to those people who subscribe to this ficLOL thanks for waiting for me,,

For a long, long time, Edelgard held her face in her hands. She breathed in, she breathed out. In, and out. In, and out.

Even so, her heart pounded loud beats in her ears, each sound almost like a boom of thunder, shaking her to the very core of her being.

She sensed Linhardt standing next to her, unnaturally silent; the only noise in his lab was the soft  _ whirr _ of Linhardt’s Crest apparatus, and Edelgard heard a soft click when Linhardt turned it off, leaving the two of them with nothing but their thoughts. Turning it off did little to ease the rising waves of panic in Edelgard’s chest; she’d seen its truth, in all its burning glory, and what it’d shown remained emblazoned on the back of her eyelids. Even with her eyes shut, her hands over her face, the blackness of her vision still showed her that single Crest she’d never thought she’d see again.

A Crest she never thought she’d ever see...in someone else.

In... _ Byleth. _

After what felt like an eternity, Edelgard, mouth dry, whispered, “You’re certain?”

“I quadruple checked everything, Your Majesty,” Linhardt said quietly. “I wouldn’t have ran to you otherwise, you know.”

“But  _ how?” _ Edelgard croaked, looking up into Linhardt’s equally pale face. “That should be impossible.”

Linhardt gave a small shrug. “I...know you dislike talking about it, but...you’re certain they never—”

“I’m dead certain.” The words were out of Edelgard’s mouth before she could think — maybe she shouldn’t have used the word  _ dead _ because a shiver ran violently through her, and she clasped her arms around herself, leaning back in her chair. “They never succeeded with anyone else but me. I should be the only one.”

Linhardt shifted on the balls of his feet. Despite the gravity of the situation, Edelgard could see the cogs constantly turning in Linhardt’s brain; the man never stopped thinking, never stopped hunting for the next answer to his questions. But unlike Edelgard’s previous captors, Linhardt...had a heart. It was why she trusted him with the truth; it’d also been to warn him of the limits of his science, just what he was capable of doing — and to see what he was willing to do to accomplish his goals.

So far, Linhardt had proven worthy of her trust. 

Finally, he said, “I can’t think of any other way then, of how and why Byleth would have this Crest. I’ve spoken to her. Hubert’s talked to her. You have. Her life is...abnormally... _ normal.” _ He put a hand to his chin, turning his gaze from Edelgard and towards the numerous bookshelves that lined the walls, the tables littered with beakers and tubes and other strange tools of science. “I’ve researched everything there is to know about Crests, within ethics. How Byleth got her Crest — the answer isn’t here, Your Majesty. I believe it’s somewhere else.”

“Outside of the realm of ethics?” Edelgard asked. She’d heard his implicit answer.

“Yes.” Linhardt met her gaze then, green eyes strangely serious. “But I won’t go beyond what I have in this lab, Edelgard. I’m no monster.”

“Nor do I expect you to, or want you to.” She stood up, swallowing, clenching her fists to regain her composure. “Linhardt, I need you to fetch Byleth and Jeralt, immediately, as fast as you can.”

“As  _ fast _ as I can?” Linhardt gave her a skeptical look. “You’re sure? You’re certain you want  _ me—” _

_ “Okay! _ Fine, send Caspar or one of the guards,” said Edelgard, dragging a hand down her face. “Just get the damn Eisners into this lab as soon as possible.”

—-

Linhardt did indeed leave his lab to fetch Caspar from their nearby bedrooms (Edelgard had purposely made sure Linhardt’s sleeping quarters was as close as possible to his lab because the damn man was so physically lazy, Edelgard was sure he’d fall asleep walking from one wing of the castle to another) and when he returned to the lab, he promptly informed Edelgard of Caspar’s errand before finding a nearby bench in the lab and falling asleep (“The stress tires me out, you know.”).

When a cheerful Caspar came jogging in with a haggard Jeralt and a wide-eyed Byleth, Edelgard dismissed him by telling him to run laps around the building, to which he happily complied and left, leaving the Eisners with the Emperor and Linhardt.

“Y-Your Majesty?” Jeralt asked, understandably baffled as he sat down by a small circle table crammed in the corner of the room, out of the way of Linhardt’s lab tools. Byleth sat down beside him, unperturbed by her father’s broad shoulders hogging most of the space. Edelgard and Linhardt stood by the Crest apparatus, Linhardt’s hand on the button to turn it on.

“I brought you here urgently because there’s something very important I need you both to see, and confirm. Most especially, you, Sir Jeralt.”

“Confirm what?”

“Byleth’s Crest. Did you know she had one?”

“No, I didn’t.” Jeralt went a little pale, though. Byleth glanced at her father, and then back to Edelgard.

“Interesting. Linhardt. Turn it on.”

The low  _ whirr _ of the machine filled the air, and there, projected into the air, came the Crest of Flames, lines and swirls interlacing to form the rarest of Crests. Edelgard felt bile in her mouth looking at it — she hated everything it stood for, what it was meant for, how it was branded into her — and now she had to look at it once again, knowing that it resided in her closest friend.

_ “This, _ Sir Jeralt, is the  _ Crest of Flames. _ Do you know what that is?” Edelgard asked, and she turned to see Jeralt staring, open-mouthed, eyes wide, something almost like  _ fear _ in his gaze. “Did you know that  _ this _ is the Crest your daughter has?”

“Th-that’s...that’s impossible,” Jeralt whispered. “Only Nemesis—”

“Had that Crest?” Edelgard said sharply. She came forward, leaning over the table, hand gripping its edge as she looked into Jeralt’s face.  _ “Tell me. _ Right now. Why does Byleth have the Crest of Flames? What do you know?”

“I-I—”

“I don’t understand,” Byleth said, and despite the quietness of her voice, her words came clear. “I don’t know what that is. Is it important?”

Linhardt said, “You’ve heard of Seiros and her battle with Nemesis, correct? Then you should know that Nemesis possessed the Crest of Flames, allowing him to wield the Sword of the Creator. He had no descendants though, so he was the last known person in Fodlan history to possess the Crest of Flames.”

“So as far as our  _ modern _ society should be concerned,” said Edelgard, knuckles white. “This Crest shouldn’t belong to  _ anyone. _ It shouldn’t even  _ exist. _ It  _ was _ the most powerful Crest in Nemesis’ time, so someone having it now is a  _ problem.” _

Byleth looked down, and away, and strangely Edelgard felt a twinge in her heart. She didn’t mean to sound harsh, or to make it sound as though she were blaming Byleth. Just...the gravity of this news. It  _ meant _ something.

“Sir Jeralt, I order you, as Emperor, to tell me the full truth of your life with Byleth. I  _ need _ to understand how she got this Crest, and why you’ve kept it a secret.”

“I haven’t kept any secret. I really didn’t know, Your Majesty,” Jeralt said, swallowing. “I...I’m telling the truth. I don’t know how Byleth got that Crest, or—” Abruptly pausing, Jeralt blinked, as if he were suddenly realizing something. “—wait. Wait.”

“What?” Edelgard asked.

At the apparatus, Linhardt raised his eyebrows.

“I...Rhea, I think...Rhea.” Jeralt reached a hand up, running it through his hair. He snapped the fingers of his other hand, as if trying to put the pieces together himself. “It’s, um,” he glanced over at Byleth. “I...I’d rather—can I speak to you privately, Your Majesty?”

Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Edelgard considered Jeralt for a long moment. “Fine. But if it’s information I deem important, I have the free reign to tell it to my advisors. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

The two of them went to the opposite corner of the room, leaving a forlorn Byleth with a Linhardt, who went about whistling a seemingly uncaring tune as he shuffled some papers around.

“Fine. Tell me. What is it that you can’t tell Linhardt and Byleth?” Edelgard said quietly, leaning a shoulder against a bookcase.

Despite his size, Jeralt looked slightly small as he hunched his shoulders. Letting out a tired sigh, he said, “It’s moreso Byleth. I...lied to her, about...her mother. And when she was born.”

“Excuse me?”

Jeralt told Edelgard the truth. He didn’t go into details of how he’d left Garreg Mach, but soon after his wife had died during childbirth, he’d staged a fire, pretending the newborn Byleth had died in it before escaping the monastery with baby Byleth in his arms and leaving behind an inconsolable Rhea. Then Jeralt explained how Byleth only believed that she’d been born the years after he’d left, and that her mother had died from an illness.

“How come you didn’t tell Byleth this? Let her live a lie her whole life?” Edelgard hissed.

“Because I was  _ afraid. _ I do  _ not _ want Byleth to return to Garreg Mach. I don’t want her anywhere near Rhea,” Jeralt said. “If I told her her mother was buried there, I was afraid Byleth would go back to visit the grave. And then Rhea  _ would _ have her.”

“Hubert mentioned you seemed afraid of Rhea,” said Edelgard. “Why? Why do you not want Rhea to meet Byleth? Or even to know she exists?”

“Because,” and now Jeralt’s words became heavy. “I...I believe Rhea killed my wife, and that she did so because Rhea did... _ something _ to Byleth.”

Edelgard, struck speechless, could only stand there.

“Byleth, when she was born...She never screamed. She never cried.” Jeralt was pale, his hand clenching and unclenching in his hair. “She was just always so...quiet. Silent. I’ve been with my daughter her whole life and I could count on my two hands the number of times I saw her smile. I don’t even know if I’ve ever heard her laugh.”

Now Edelgard felt a heavy weight in her heart, for the man that stood before her was just a sad father, with a lost wife and a daughter he loved dearly but could not understand.

“I think Byleth’s...abnormality, comes from...whatever Rhea did to her. When I met Rhea right after Byleth was born, she didn’t even let me see my wife’s...body. She just told me that she’d died during childbirth, but...I didn’t believe it.” Jeralt let out a heavy sigh. “After that, I...couldn’t bring myself to trust Rhea again. Something didn’t feel right.”

“I don’t blame you.” Edelgard knew Rhea had far too many lies up her sleeve. It wasn’t surprising she’d have another.

“And…” Jeralt glanced around, and Edelgard did the same; Linhardt and Byleth were still in the opposite corner, out of earshot. “Byleth has no heartbeat.”

_ “What?” _

“Soon after Byleth was born, I brought her to a doctor. She has a normal pulse, but no heartbeat. I’m not lying, Your Majesty. I swear it. I’m certain this is also a part of Rhea’s doing.”

Edelgard stood there, trying to process the overload of information. What kind of magic did Rhea have that could possibly stop someone’s heartbeat, but still let them live? What kind of magic did Rhea even  _ use _ to give Byleth the Crest of Flames? What had Rhea  _ done? _

Whatever she’d done, Edelgard felt for certain that Rhea must’ve silenced Jeralt’s wife to preserve the secret. Now Edelgard felt again that burning pit of flame in her stomach, an intense anger. Crests,  _ Rhea, _ were yet once again tearing families apart; this cursed, millenia old system had to be torn down asunder. No more would Rhea lay her hand on any innocent child; and Edelgard made the solemn, hard vow just then that Rhea would never lay a hand on Byleth, ever again.

“I...I wish I understood what all of this meant, truly,” said Edelgard, pressing her fingers to her temple. “This is...quite a good deal of information to process.”

Jeralt shrugged. 

“Regardless. Thank you for telling me all this, Sir Jeralt. You should know, then, that I have no intention of ever bringing Byleth close to Rhea.”

“That’s a relief.”

“This explains...some things, but I believe the whole truth in the matter must come from Rhea herself. I don’t think those answers will come anytime soon, but at least this gives me a starting point to think on. Rhea is capable of...more things than I thought,” Edelgard murmured.

“I apologize, for not telling you earlier, Your Majesty. I just never thought Byleth would have that Crest, nor did I think our history with Rhea would be importance to you.” He looked sheepish. “And sorry for the assassination contract again. I was afraid to say no.”

Chuckling, Edelgard said, “Well, it worked in my favor. I’m not dead, and I have you and Byleth.” Turning serious, she continued, “We all think many things, Sir Jeralt, and I don’t blame you for your discretion or your fear, but I must ask that you tell Byleth of the truth you told me.” Edelgard craned her head up again to look Jeralt in the face. “For our future, I cannot afford any more hidden truths within my inner circles. Only tell Byleth, but then I swear the both of you to secrecy — what you know about Rhea and Byleth’s Crest is of the utmost security.  _ No one _ must know of her Crest of Flames. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Jeralt gave a little bow. With another sigh, he said, “Damn, it’ll be hard telling this to my kid.”

“Some truths are hard to swallow, but we all must eat at the same table. I require it.” Edelgard found her shoulders slumping. So much had happened today. “Now, Sir Jeralt, is there any other information on Byleth you wish to impart?”

Jeralt gave a low rumble of a laugh. “Well, to defuse this conversation, I wanted to thank you for giving this job to Byleth and me.”

“Uh,” said Edelgard, not sure how to respond at the surprised gratitude at the forceful conscription of Jeralt and his daughter into her army. “You’re welcome?”

“Despite Byleth not...being normal, she’s done very well for herself here, in her role. I’m proud of her.”

“I agree.”

“This job you’ve given us, and her, Your Majesty,” Jeralt said, and he looked over at Byleth with fatherly fondness. “I think it’s made her...a little more, uh.” He made a gesture with his hand. “I think she smiles more. She seems happier here. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Unsure of whether Jeralt was giving a compliment, and thrown off guard at the turn in the conversation, Edelgard blurted, “Uh, yes. You’re welcome.”

“I know how hard you train your soldiers and your troops — I’m the one doing it — but I gotta ask, you really keep Byleth going late on her training drills with you, huh?” Jeralt asked.

“What?”

“Byleth usually stays at the castle until early morning. She arrives back to the house when I leave to do morning drills with the troops.” Jeralt raised an eyebrow. “These mock assassinations you’re doing with her, I just hope you’re not grinding her to the bone.”

It hit Edelgard just then; Byleth had never told Jeralt that she’d been sleeping over. And now Edelgard couldn’t just tell Jeralt that his  _ daughter _ was routinely sleeping in her bedroom every night and leaving before the crack of dawn. A bead of sweat ran down the back of Edelgard’s neck; oh  _ no, _ she couldn’t tell Jeralt—!

“Anyway, that’s all I had to say. Thank you, Your Majesty.” He clapped a fist to his chest, giving a low bow, before lumbering over to Byleth and Linhardt, leaving a breathless Edelgard to follow in his wake.

—-

Later that night, when Edelgard lay in bed, facing Byleth once more, she found her assassin with a pensive expression, not meeting her eye.

“Byleth?” Edelgard asked softly. “Your father told you everything, right?”

“Yes.”

For a long minute, that was all Byleth said, but she still didn’t meet Edelgard’s gaze. Instead, she lay on her side, face turned slightly into the pillow, her hand gripping the corner. This was the closest Edelgard had ever seen Byleth to being... _ sad. _ Perhaps after all this time, Edelgard was getting better at reading Byleth’s minute expressions, the subtle movements of her brow, the corner of her lip...And now Edelgard saw that Byleth had been burdened with a truth she’d never known.

That her mother was dead, probably slain for a secret? A secret that now made her one of the most dangerous people in Fodlan?

Pursing her lips, Edelgard thought for a moment of reaching out — but to do...what? Touch Byleth? Console her, comfort her?

For some reason, a cold shiver ran through her at that thought. She’d never been like Dorothea or Ferdinand or Caspar; she had no idea how to be physically affectionate. She’d lost that part of her heart a long time ago.

Yet, even now, just that one piece of her heart that still beat. It longed to reach out.

“Byleth.”

Byleth’s gaze flickered to her.

“I cannot claim to...understand what you’re feeling. No one can, or ever will.” Edelgard kept her gaze steady. “Others can sympathize or empathize, but in the end, only you truly know what you’re feeling right now.”

Byleth said nothing, but she didn’t look away, either.

“I can’t — won’t — cry for you, and I won’t tell you lies or falsehoods to make you feel better, either.” Edelgard shifted a little closer, close enough that their faces were just inches away. “I understand needing time to heal, but Byleth, we all have to move forward. All I can promise you right now is that when I do move forward, I’ll reach out my hand to you.”

The time was nigh when they  _ would _ have to move forward. Soon, Edelgard would need her allies — and she most especially wanted Byleth to move forward with her, to be at her side.

“One truth that I will tell you, Byleth, is this.” Edelgard had thought long and hard about telling Byleth this, but it felt right to do so, given the circumstances. “You’re not alone.”

“I know.” Byleth’s voice was soft, as always, but there was just a hint of an edge to it.

“Do you?” Edelgard gave a morbid chuckle, and she sat up in bed, with Byleth doing the same. “You’re not the only one with the Crest of Flames.”

Byleth’s lips parted just slightly, as if in realization.

Raising her hand, Edelgard summoned it, the abominable Crest a sigil in the air above her palm. She felt a shudder in her chest, looking at it again, its ethereal glow undeniable.

“When I told you of the experiments done on me in the dungeons, it was for this. To artificially impart on a human a Crest not given by blood.” Edelgard heard her voice wavering, and she immediately steeled herself. She wouldn’t be weak, not here, not now. “I’m the only person in Fodlan history to be in the possession of two Crests; the one I was born with, the minor Crest of Seiros, and this. The Crest of Flames. It’s why I have white hair. It’s why all my siblings are dead.”

She was blunt. But the part of her that had felt grief, the part of her that could cry — it’d died long ago, and it’d died in those very dungeons down below.

“I was the only one to survive. I don’t know why, but I’m here, now. And I’m going to make sure what happened to me — and you — will  _ never _ happen to anyone else, ever again. The future I seek, the future that Fodlan needs; I will do everything in my power as Emperor to attain it.” Edelgard closed her hand, turning it into a fist, her nails digging into her palm. The Crest vanished, leaving them both in the dimmed candlelight. “That’s why all I can say to you right now, Byleth, is that when the time comes for me to do so, what will  _ you _ do?”

Finally, Edelgard turned her gaze to her friend.

This time she saw that look again — the look that Byleth had had when they’d sparred on that practice field, those  _ flames _ in her eyes, a hot blue that looked so much like the fire in Edelgard’s own heart.

They weren’t alone. They were together.

Byleth reached a hand out, much to Edelgard’s surprise. And then Byleth’s hand was gently on Edelgard’s fist, and with her breath held, Edelgard found herself slowly loosening her fingers, just enough so that Byleth ended up interlacing her fingers between Edelgard’s.

_ Oh. _ This was far, far more physically intimate than anything Edelgard had ever experienced. She always had gloves on, for one, so someone’s bare hand touching her own was on another level — let alone someone else’s fingers between her own, clasping her hand just so.

Byleth spoke then. “Whoever you’re fighting in the future, Edelgard. Your battles are my battles.” Her hand tightened just so around Edelgard’s, their palms warm against the other’s. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but I now know why. I’ll be there.”

Cheeks flushed, and her heart tripping over itself in her chest, Edelgard, mouth dry, only said, “Thank you.”

With a short nod, Byleth then pulled her hand away — much to Edelgard’s loss — and then she laid back down on the bed with a quiet sigh.

Unable to find any words, Edelgard did the same, and the two of them lay there once more just looking at each other.

“I mean it, you know,” Edelgard whispered. “Thank you.”

Byleth gave her one of her rare, small smiles. “I owe you my life. There’s nothing to thank me for.” But then she paused, hesitating before she said slowly, “But...you plan on battling Rhea, aren’t you?”

Now it was Edelgard’s turn to say nothing.

“When I mentioned Rhea the first time you met me in the dungeons,” Byleth said softly. “You seemed distressed then. And these practice drills, Hubert and Dorothea being away often. It’s to fight Rhea, isn’t it? The Church. It’s why Rhea wanted me to kill you.”

Perceptive, in her own strange way. Yet another truth to be told today.

“Yes,” Edelgard finally admitted. “It’s to dismantle the Church, and its enforcement of Crests. I believe Rhea, somehow, found out my plans. In doing so, I’ve had to expedite my schedule. It wasn’t meant to be so rushed.”

“I see.”

“But if that’s the price I have to pay to make sure no one else suffers for  _ this,” _ and Edelgard placed a hand over her heart, over the scars that crisscrossed her chest. “Then so be it. The cost now is far less than if I let this continue to be for the future.”

“...I understand.”

Edelgard looked into Byleth’s face, and once more saw no hint of lie. Her assassin well and truly was with her, in every sense of the word.

“How else can I help, then?” Byleth asked.

Shifting in bed, Edelgard went over her plans in her mind once more. “Well, at the retreat…”

—-

A week later, Edelgard and the rest of the Strike Team set off from Enbarr towards the location Dorothea specified for their retreat; a place up in the mountains, shielded by stone and masked by forest, defensible and nigh impenetrable. A perfect place for Edelgard to tell the truth, away from hidden ears.

Byleth and Hubert had departed a few days early to investigate the premises and secure and fortify it, leaving Edelgard in a carriage with the other members of the Strike Team. It led to be a rather rowdy affair, what with putting Caspar in a tiny, enclosed space (more than once Bernadetta passed out from the stress of a Caspar nearly bouncing off the walls of the carriage as he eagerly pointed out various landmasses in the distance). Then, with Ferdinand and Dorothea at her sides, Edelgard was subject to a rather heated conversation between the two about nobility, politics, and other things that she tuned out after a solid thirty minutes.

When they finally arrived in the late afternoon with the sun setting in the distance, Edelgard felt great relief at finally getting out of the cooped up carriage and onto solid ground, finally freed from a hyperactive Caspar.

It wasn’t until Edelgard got a good look at just  _ where _ they were staying, did Edelgard abruptly understand exactly why Dorothea had picked this place.

It was fortified, on the outside, with stone ramparts and walls.

On the inside, it was…

“Isn’t this  _ great, _ Edie?” Dorothea clapped her hands in joy, laughing. “A hot springs! A perfect getaway for all of us, don’t you think?”

Teeth gritted so hard her jaw might shatter, Edelgard stiffly turned on her heel. “Ah. Yes. Great. Place.”

Their abode was a classic hot springs in every sense of the word; wooden architecture, sloped tiled roofs with wooden walkways along the sides, the rooms designed with sliding doors with bamboo flooring and paper lanterns to light their way. Soft green trees hugged the perimeter, providing gentle shade and a quiet flutter of leaves in the breeze.

“A  _ wonderful _ place, I do so agree!” Ferdinand exclaimed, a trunk on one of his shoulders as he beamed with happiness. “I cannot wait to—”

_ “Ho boy! _ Last one in the spring’s a rotten egg!” Caspar, bouncing on the balls of his feet, and he too grabbed his own trunk before barreling in through the front doors and past a ruffled Ferdinand, where the servants hastily got out of his way.

“Ah. I can drown somewhere quiet and nice then,” Bernadetta said under her breath as she too made her way inside, a servant following behind her with her own trunk. Petra and Linhardt followed her from behind with their own things, servants tailing them as well.

“Don’t worry, the place is more private than it looks. I’ve had the mages go and soundproof the walls, Your Majesty,” said Hubert coming up from behind them, with Byleth at his side. “It’s an excellent place to relax before your upcoming celebratory ball.”

“The hot springs are nice,” Byleth added.

“Excuse us, for a moment. Hubert, please ensure my things are appropriately put in my in my  _ private _ room.” Then Edelgard abruptly grabbed Dorothea’s arm and led her a few paces away.

“Damn it, Dorothea. You brought me here so you could—”

“Relax, Edie. To relax. You had something important to tell us all, so I thought it fitting to bring us all to a place where we’d be able to have some fun together before you drop whatever bomb it is you want to drop.” Dorothea crossed her arms, unyielding. “And it’s a place for you and Byleth to enjoy something  _ fun  _ together, hm?”

“I don’t need to have fun—”

“Yes, you do. Your only fun with Byleth is the two of you beating the shit out of each other on the practice field and then you slee—”

_ “Shush!” _

“You get my point then, don’t you?” Dorothea said. “For the past few months, all you’ve done is have meetings, spar, practice, meetings, over and over. You haven’t had a break at all, and without a break,  _ you _ will break. You need to relax.”

Though Edelgard ground her teeth together, she couldn’t help but see the truth in Dorothea’s words. Truth be told, she couldn’t remember the last time she had a...vacation, of any kind. The past few months truly had just been a myriad of sessions. Sparring with Byleth (they’d established over the months a rough 50/50 in terms of wins and losses — Byleth was a fast learner when it came to understanding her opponents), meeting with politicians and ministers, looking over spies’ reports on their latest enemies’ movements...There hadn’t been a single moment of reprieve.

Aside from her thankfully restful nights with Byleth. The nightmares had been fewer, since Byleth had stayed with her.

“Not only do you need to relax, but the team does too. You’ve been driving them quite hard.” Dorothea sighed then. “And Petra’s still a Queen too, you know. She has her own royal duties to attend to on top of whatever it is you want to give her too.”

Letting out her own weary sigh of defeat, Edelgard felt her shoulders slump as she pressed her fingers to her temple. “Alright, fine. I understand your point. And I apologize to Petra and everyone else, they have my permission to relax and have fun here. Drills can be postponed for the time being.”

“Good to know. I’ll let everyone else know.” Dorothea flashed a smile.

“Also,” Edelgard added, “You must know I still intend on keeping my promise. I’m going to tell the truth to you all while we’re here.” Looking up into Dorothea’s face, Edelgard asked, “But a  _ hot springs? _ Really, Dorothea? Where I have to  _ strip?  _ You  _ know _ how I feel about...the way I look.”

Though Edelgard had never explicitly told Dorothea of what had happened to her, back in Garreg Mach, she’d made it very clear that she disliked people seeing her bare skin. It was why she’d always worn gloves, long sleeves, leggings. She couldn’t stand the thought of all the stares she might warrant if people saw how her body looked sewn together with stitches and scars.

“I know that, and it’s why I reserved for you your own  _ private _ hot springs,” Dorothea said patiently. “You have the option to join the rest of us in the common hot springs, if you’d like, or you can be in your private one and invite whoever you want.”

At Dorothea’s consideration, Edelgard now felt a little shame. It’d been a kneejerk reaction to be angry — perhaps the stress really was putting her on a short-fuse. 

“That’s...very kind of you, Dorothea. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Just promise me you’ll let loose here, okay?” Dorothea asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Then we can get back to business. Just this once, enjoy yourself.”

“I’ll try.”

The two of them then headed inside, with Edelgard wondering if she even remembered how to enjoy herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unsure of when the next chapter might come up bc i am again taking classes and classes are taking up a lot of my time bc i gotta study hardcore + i also have a lot on my plate at work so i might have to cut down on the time i have to write :(( not exactly a hiatus per say but my updates might come slower than usual ... i still really like this fic a lot though and i do have an ending in mind, it's definitely gonna come sooner rather than later
> 
> and sorry for keeping changing the chapter count LOL each time i think i'm close to the end i'm NOT LOL buT WE'RE GETTING THERE. PROGRESS IS BEING MADE. WE ARE ALMOST THERE Y'ALL
> 
> byleth: holds edelgard's hand  
edelgard: holy shit this is nsfw censor this immediate
> 
> but i do cry tho bc edelgard 100% does not strike me as the person to be physically intimate and it takes her a VERY long time to learn how to be or to even be comfortable with it ... so (wipes tears from eyes) byleth going slow with her is honestly :') my jam
> 
> also omg sorry i keep forgetting to put social media  
twitter @thehaakun  
tumblr @thehaakun


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW i managed to punch this out i'm sorry this chapter is like a little longer than the others im just trying REALLY HARD TO STOP CHANGING THE CHAPTER COUNT LOL i made this one longer instead of chopping it up so sorry
> 
> also thanks again to all the people reading and commenting!! i really appreciate all the comments ;-;
> 
> a small retcon (??) is that though hubert did soundproof the walls of the hot springs it's not like _ALL SOUND IS DEFEATED_ i like to imagine it's just muffled enough that you can't make out words lol

For a long while, Edelgard stood in her private bedroom — lanterns on the walls emitting a soft, warm glow — and she clenched the front of the robe around her bare body, wondering why she had no spine for the most simplest, most mundane of tasks.

Maybe it was because she’d never been raised to know those things. Maybe it was because her life had never been, nor will ever be, simple, or mundane.

But even so. She stood by the sliding wooden door to the hallway, breath held in her chest.

All she had to do was leave her bedroom, walk down the hallway, and then join her friends in the common hot springs. Admittedly, Dorothea had reserved the whole place so there was no one else aside from themselves and general staff, but having heard Dorothea at dinner extend an invitation for everyone to head to the hot springs for a late evening splash had made Edelgard steel her resolve.

A resolve that was fast fading as she stood there.

She wanted to join her friends. She did. She really wanted to spend time with them as any other person would, to laugh and to joke and to grin and share stories. She wanted to have fun with them just one last time before she had to speak of the inevitable storm. She wanted to be the one to bring joy and happiness to the table, for once, when so often her presence merited straightened backs, hastily covered laughs and abruptly quieter voices.

She wanted to see Petra’s bright smile, Dorothea’s charming laugh, Bernie’s cute giggle. She wanted to see Caspar’s flamboyant grin, Linhardt’s amused chuckle, even Ferdinand’s flippant tousle of his hair.

And even Hubert had deigned it upon himself earlier that evening to agreeing to join them. No doubt he was giving his weary, exasperated sighs as he sat in the springs, but at least he was _ with _ the team (and probably enjoying it too, for all his talk of stoicism and coldness. Edelgard knew deep in his heart Hubert cared for their friends too).

Clasping her robe more closely around herself, Edelgard leaned forward, tapping her forehead against the door. If Hubert could do it, so could she. She could do it. How she looked be damned. She knew none of them would ask questions — they would probably stare, but then abruptly look away, pretend to ignore that she looked like a cadaver cut apart and then poorly put back together.

Edelgard lightly hit her forehead against the door. Thinking like that wasn’t going to help. She could do it. She could do it! She can! She will go out, and she will join her friends!

Fuck it. Waiting around was stupid.

Gripping the edge of the door, Edelgard abruptly slid it open—

And found a _ Byleth _ standing right on the other side, mid-step.

“Oh,” Byleth said, as if she weren’t wearing _ just _ a towel, and _ only _ a towel. “Edelgard.”

Edelgard’s brain short-circuited for a split second, because Byleth’s _ bare shoulders _ and Byleth’s _ bare legs _ were just _ there! _ And the damn nice and warm glow from the lanterns in the hallway cast Byleth in such a gentle and beautiful light, silhouetted by gold. That slender curve of her neck to her shoulder, her _ collarbones, _ her hair tied up in a messy ponytail. All of it was just... _ there. _ For Edelgard to look at. And Edelgard most certainly looked.

“Are you going to the hot springs now?” Byleth asked. “I am too.”

“Yes, I am,” Edelgard heard herself saying.

“Okay.” Byleth took another step, casting a look at Edelgard as if she expected Edelgard to follow, and Edelgard then found her body moving of its own accord as she fell into step with Byleth as they walked down the hallway.

But oh no. _ Oh no. _ They were coming closer to the common hot springs, where Edelgard could now begin to hear Caspar’s and Ferdinand’s loud laughs, even Dorothea’s voice saying some jest or another. Edelgard gripped her towel more tightly around herself; admittedly, there wasn’t much to see as of now, with the robe obscuring most of her body.

Meanwhile, and Edelgard had no idea why, Byleth’s towel was just barely enough to cover her chest and ass, barely reaching down to Byleth’s thighs. What the hell—

Byleth caught her looking, and Edelgard flushed red. “Oh. Would you like a towel too, Edelgard? Dorothea gave me some.”

Almost biting her tongue from holding back a curse on Dorothea, Edelgard said stiffly, “N-no, I’m fine, thank you. My robe is fine.” Did Dorothea set this up? Was she just as good a schemer as Hubert? No, maybe it was just coincidence that Byleth had walked by as she had, and Dorothea had just hoped Edelgard would catch a look of Byleth in an extremely immodest towel. Fate, luck, whatever — damn it all, Edelgard thought, but she didn’t have much more time to overthink when they came to the entrance doors of the hot springs.

Just on the other side, Edelgard could hear the others’ voices, the sound of running water, and even some splashes — maybe a waterfall.

“Do you want to go in?”

Edelgard, pulled from her thoughts, blinked. “What?”

“You stopped. In front of the door.”

“Um. Yes. It’s just…”

In that weird, strange way again, Byleth seemed to understand her even without words. “You look distressed, again.”

Was Edelgard that easy to read? Or had Byleth just gotten better at reading her, in the same way Edelgard had to her? Perhaps they’d spent more time together than Edelgard had thought…

“I can escort you to your private springs, if you’d like. It’s safe and secure,” Byleth said.

Opening her mouth, Edelgard’s first response was an instinctive, kneejerk _ no — _ but instead, she held back her tongue. Maybe just this once, she’d lower her walls. She couldn’t be armored up every second, of every day. Dorothea was right. Someday, she’d break.

Maybe as much as Edelgard didn’t like to admit it, she was human. She shouldn’t be forcing herself into situations that distressed her so.

“Maybe...Yes. I would appreciate that, Byleth,” Edelgard said after a moment. She lowered her stiffened shoulders, letting out a breath from her tightened chest. Though she felt disappointment at herself as she turned around back down the hallway, Edelgard made a promise then — next time. Next time, she’d go to the springs with her friends. Maybe she’d have more courage then, less self-consciousness. If Bernie could get out of her shell and meet with the others, someday, Edelgard would too, scars be damned (as they walked away, Edelgard heard Bernie’s indignant sputtering, alongside sounds of splashes and laughter).

The walk to the other side of the building towards Edelgard’s private hot springs was a quiet one. Byleth said nothing the whole way, and even her footsteps were dead silent — not that Edelgard should’ve expected anything less from a master assassin. Even on wooden floorboards, Byleth moved like a tangential ghost.

“Something is on your mind, Edelgard.” Byleth was looking at her, meeting her gaze. Again, Edelgard flushed. She hadn’t realized she’d been staring at Byleth’s face. “Can I help with whatever is bothering you?”

There it was, again and again. Byleth’s concern for her. Byleth’s care for her.

“It’s...I can show you. If you want to join me,” Edelgard said, heart fluttering in her chest. Maybe she might not be comfortable enough around the others just yet, but with Byleth knowing of her past, maybe she wouldn’t mind that Edelgard was made of scars and stitches, wounds that would never heal, inside and out.

“Okay.”

So when they reached the front of Edelgard’s secluded, private hot springs, and she slid open the door, Byleth at her back, she hoped she could move just this one small step forward.

—-

Edelgard’s hot springs was, in every meaning of the word, beautiful. The lanterns were dimmed, casting a lovely mood light across the scene; a luscious, green garden lined the back wall, with the hot springs centered directly in the middle, a waterfall cascading from the garden and into the circular pool, giving off the soft sound of rushing water. Gentle steam rose off of the surface of the water, warming the room, humidifying it, and Byleth blinked as she took a step aside, sliding the door behind her.

Sothis let out a low whistle in Byleth’s ear. _ “Wow. _ The Emperor really does have all the best accomodations, doesn’t she?”

Byleth said nothing, glancing over at Edelgard. She’d walked over to the edge of the pool, where she’d dipped a tentative toe in. She still had her arms wrapped around herself, her loose, unadorned white hair down her back almost as white as the robe she wore. Byleth sensed it; there was tension in Edelgard’s shoulders, despite the fact that she was in a hot springs to relax.

“The water’s quite nice,” said Edelgard.

“Sure wish I could feel it,” Sothis muttered, hand raised, looking at her own nails.

Byleth came and joined her at the edge of the pool, and she looked down; like the other springs, the water was clear and lovely, with steps and places to sit alongside the edges of the pool. She and Hubert had enjoyed their fair share of ‘testing’ the security of the springs beforehand — no doubt this spring would be just as nice and fair as the others, perfect for Edelgard.

Edelgard glanced up at Byleth. “I, um, I need you to. Not look at me. First. Before I get in.” She still clutched the robe to herself.

“Okay.” Byleth turned around and stared at the wall. Then she cast a cold stare at Sothis, who _ was _ looking. Sothis rolled her eyes, let out an exasperated sigh, and then faded away as if in compliance.

“You promise not to look at me.” Edelgard said her words in such a way that it was half a question, half an instinctive command.

“Yes.”

“Okay. You’re not looking.”

“I’m not looking.” 

“Don’t look.” 

“I won’t.”

The quiet rustle of cloth. “Don’t look yet.”

“Okay.”

“You’re not looking?” Edelgard’s voice was a little higher.

“No.”

A moment of silence; Edelgard probably getting into the water.

“Okay, d-don’t look. Yet.”

“Okay.” Byleth studied a whorl in one of the wooden floorboards.

Another momentary pause; Edelgard moving somewhere in the springs, probably. There was another sound of a leaf or some sort being removed from its plant, like a crack of a branch.

“O-okay. You can turn around now.”

Byleth did, and saw Edelgard submerged into the water up to her neck, a rather large leaf held up in front of her to shield her face; only her eyes peeked up above its edge, a vulnerability in her gaze that Byleth had never seen before.

“May I get in, too?” Byleth asked.

“Yes, feel free.”

Byleth was far, far less conscious about herself, so when she discarded her towel, Edelgard made a little high-pitched sound close to a squeak before ducking her face behind the leaf. Not that Byleth minded; she got into the water in one go, stepping over the edge and into the pool, submerging herself in it and letting out a sigh. Seating herself against the edge of the pool, the water coming up to just underneath her shoulders, Byleth looked over at Edelgard — they were only a few feet apart, the pool wasn’t that large — and noticed that she’d placed herself against the far, opposite side.

“Do you still not want me to look? I can’t see any part of you,” Byleth said. She wouldn’t want to intrude on Edelgard’s space; she wouldn’t mind just sitting on the edge of the pool and letting Edelgard have the springs to herself. It _ was _ her private springs, after all.

“Are you completely in the water?” Edelgard asked behind her leaf.

“Yes.”

Byleth leaned back against the pool’s edge, reaching her hands up to tighten her ponytail. Edelgard, peeking above her leaf, let out a sigh of relief; she even lowered her little shield a little.

“Sorry, I’m just...not used to bathing with other people. I’m normally by myself.”

“I don’t mind. I just hope I’m not making you uncomfortable.” Byleth pushed her bangs back, slicking a hand back over her hair.

“N-not at all! I invited you here, after all.” Though Edelgard placed her leaf carefully on the surface of the water, all Byleth could see was Edelgard from the neck up; she’d really sunk herself low into the pool. “I’m...just self-conscious, is all. The...experiments performed on me resulted in a, um, good deal of scars.”

“Oh.” It clicked for Byleth then. Sothis had always made passing mentions of Edelgard rarely, if ever, revealing any skin. Gloves, long nightgowns, full body armor (“It’s like she thinks she’s going to be assassinated at any second!” Sothis had said. Byleth had just given her a look). “I have scars too, if that helps.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Edelgard chuckled. “Even so, my wounds aren’t...of the conventional, battle kind, as I’m sure yours are.”

It clicked for Byleth then. That’s why Edelgard had felt apprehensive at being with the others; they would’ve seen her bare skin. So for Edelgard to let Byleth be with her now...it meant something. “...I understand. You don’t like people seeing them.”

“No, not particularly.” Edelgard shivered, her hands scrunching up her leaf.

Sothis’ voice again hissed in Byleth’s ear. “Ask her if she wants to see yours.”

“Do you want to see my scars?” Byleth asked aloud.

There was something half-between a snort and a chortle from Sothis. Out of the corner of her eye, Byleth could see Sothis wiping away a tear of mirth. “I didn’t think you would actually ask it, but you did! Oh, this is _ good—” _

“W-what?” Edelgard asked, blinking. “See your scars?”

“Yes.” Byleth raised her arm, glancing at the small, faded cuts and scratches along her forearm. “Would that help you feel more comfortable?” While Edelgard bit her lip, thinking for a second, Byleth made a small gesture with her hand — telling Sothis to go away again.

“Fine, fine, I’ll let you two be,” Sothis huffed, and she faded away once more.

“S-sure,” said Edelgard, breathless, seemingly making up her mind. “But...I’ll come over to you. Could you, just, um, look away again? Or close your eyes?”

“I can do that, Edelgard.” Byleth closed her eyes, and heard the quiet shift of water as Edelgard moved across the pool; she sensed Edelgard sit down next to her, from the way the water lapped lightly against her skin. Deeply breathing in the warm steam, Byleth kept her silence, letting Edelgard take her time.

“Um, where would it be alright to start?” Edelgard asked. Her voice was a little higher again.

Byleth pondered it for a moment, eyes still closed. She’d come to realize over the nights that Edelgard liked hearing her tell stories, no matter how mundane.

So Byleth raised her arm out of the water, extending out her hand to Edelgard. “Do you recall how I assassinated someone at a wedding?”

“Hm. Yes.” 

Byleth felt tentative fingers gently grasp her forearm, one finger tracing a thin scar on the back of her hand, by the base of her wrist. Edelgard’s touch was so soft, gentle. Though her hands and fingers were just as calloused, Byleth sensed a kindness, a hesitant wonder and curiosity in the way Edelgard continued tracing faded cuts and scrapes along Byleth’s palm, wrist, and forearm.

“I hit the target, but I didn’t secure an escape route. I ended up jumping through the stained glass of the church the wedding was in.”

A slight intake of breath from Edelgard. “You _ jumped _through glass?”

“Yes. I didn’t land well. A lot of my cuts are from that.”

A breath of amusement. “I never took you for a daredevil, Byleth.”

Byleth shrugged. “It was one of my first contracts. I learned to be better over time.” She breathed in the steam again. 

“And you certainly are much better,” Edelgard murmured. Her fingers slid up Byleth’s forearm, to the crook of her arm. “What about this one?” She traced a long-faded cut along Byleth’s bicep.

“I fell wrong...”

They spoke of Byleth’s other escapades for quite some time, and Byleth even managed to get a few more chuckles and even laughs from Edelgard along the way. They ended up switching to Byleth’s other arm, with Byleth shifting in her seat to let Edelgard get a better feel. The whole time, she kept her eyes closed, just as Edelgard wished. Over the half hour, Edelgard’s touch became less hesitant, more comfortable in touching, tracing, feeling. A part of Byleth did wish she could see Edelgard, to see that smile of hers when she was amused, but Byleth instead kept her patience. As long as Edelgard could feel relaxed in her presence, she would have achieved something good that day. 

Some of Byleth’s scars were from failed training sessions with Jeralt and other mercenaries, when she’d be unceremoniously disarmed and defeated, thrown to the ground and scraped up a little. Some were from dumber mistakes; like not securing a good grip on a pegasus and falling off it and tumbling through a tree (Edelgard had laughed at that one, bringing a small smile to Byleth’s face). Some were from actual battle from fighting bandits, small cuts and nicks from when Byleth failed to dodge in time. At those, Byleth could hear Edelgard’s frown, but her words of concern made Byleth feel a certain way.

Byleth ended up turning around so Edelgard could get a look at the scars along her back. Those were less in number; Byleth wasn’t prone to showing her back to enemies, but even so she had a few marks there. For a moment, there was silence, just the quiet sound of the rush of water from the waterfall as Edelgard’s fingers tentatively sliding up Byleth’s spine, a tender touch, and Byleth sensed how Edelgard had shifted closer to her.

“As an aside,” Edelgard said softly. “Have you ever done this with anyone else?”

“No, I’ve never talked to anyone as much as I have you.”

Edelgard laughed. “No, that’s not what I mean. I mean doing this.” She traced another scar at the tip of Byleth’s shoulder.

“Done what?”

“Done...this. Let someone touch you like this.”

“No.”

A beat. “Really?”

“Yes. You sound surprised.”

“Well, slightly. You just seem very comfortable with me, um, doing this.”

“I’m always comfortable around you, Edelgard. I enjoy being with you.”

Byleth felt Edelgard’s breathless laugh at her back. Then, to her surprise, Edelgard leaned into her, and Byleth became hyper aware of how Edelgard had leaned her head against her shoulder. They’d _ never _ been this close before, even when in bed. Edelgard always kept a degree of space between them underneath the blanket, to which Byleth would always comply and respect. To have Edelgard touch her in this way now — when Byleth knew that Edelgard always held others at a distance — meant something... _ more. _

“I...feel the same way, Byleth.” Edelgard sounded so..._ soft. _ “Thank you.”

Having no idea of what Edelgard was thanking her for, Byleth simply replied, “You’re welcome.”

Another moment of silence. After a minute, Edelgard murmured, “And...your father told me that you, um, your heart—”

“That I don’t have a heartbeat.” Byleth shifted, unthinkingly raising one of her own hands to the center of her chest, over where her heart should be.

“If I may ask, you don’t have to answer, but...what does that feel like?” There was genuine curiosity in Edelgard’s voice, and from the way she seemed to press herself closer against Byleth and the way her hand hovered between Byleth’s shoulderblades, it felt almost as if Edelgard were trying to find a heartbeat herself.

“...Not uncomfortable, or bad. I just...don’t have one.” Pursing her lips, Byleth thought on it. She’d heard her father’s heartbeat many times as a child, when he’d picked her up and she’d press her ear to his massive torso. A subtle, rhythmic beat — a sound in his chest that when Byleth pressed a hand against her own heart, it felt strange to feel and almost hear its silence. “I’ve heard my father’s heartbeat, so I feel as though I understand what it’s meant to feel like. I just have never felt it myself.”

“I see,” said Edelgard, quietly. “Um, are your eyes still closed, by the way?”

“Yes.”

There was a long pause, but Byleth said nothing. It seemed like Edelgard was thinking. Then Byleth felt Edelgard’s hand tentatively, almost shyly, move from her shoulder and down her arm, slipping into the water before Edelgard’s fingers ghosted against the skin of Byleth’s wrist.

“Would...would you like to feel my heartbeat?” Edelgard asked, and though her voice trembled, there was a hint of resolve in her words too. “If only because you allowed me to...do this with you.”

That caught Byleth by surprise, so much so it took a beat to respond. “Oh. Really?”

“Yes, if you’d like. You don’t have to—”

“I’d like to.” With her eyes still closed, Byleth turned a little, and Edelgard shifted away — albeit she held onto Byleth’s hand in the water.

“Okay, then. Well,” Edelgard started. “Are you ready?”

It sounded more like Edelgard was asking herself that moreso than she was asking Byleth, but Byleth answered anyway. “Yes.”

“You might feel some of...my own scars. If it feels uncomfortable, at any point, please let me know.”

Byleth nodded. What must it be like to feel someone else’s heartbeat, that wasn’t her father’s? His had been slow when he’d been resting or sitting, a _ badump _ ... _ badump _ that was offbeat from each second passing by underneath the shade of a tree.

But now, when Edelgard took Byleth’s hand and the tips of Byleth’s fingers brushed Edelgard’s bare skin, even underwater, and her palm was placed flat against Edelgard’s sternum did she unconsciously hold her breath. Byleth could feel the ridges from numerous scars, splaying out from the center of her palm and outward across Edelgard’s skin, stitches from long ago underneath her fingertips — but underneath it all, there, at the center of her hand, a heartbeat. It was different from Jeralt’s, though...

“It’s...fast,” Byleth said, almost above a whisper. “Why?”

“O-oh.” Edelgard’s hand tightened around Byleth’s, still held against her chest. “Usually, someone’s heart beats fast when they’re nervous, or afraid.”

Byleth immediately tried to jerk her hand away because making Edelgard _ afraid _ was the last thing she wanted to do, but then Edelgard gripped Byleth’s hand, hard, holding it in place against her heart — and seemingly, Edelgard’s heart seemed to beat at an even faster tempo.

“N-no, Byleth, you misunderstand. I’m not afraid of you, at all! I’m just nervous. I’ve never done this before with anyone either.”

Biting her lip, Byleth remained in place; and Edelgard’s heart beat against her hand even still.

“Then thank you,” Byleth said softly. “For letting me do this with you, Edelgard.” For some reason, Edelgard’s heart seemed to beat maybe just a bit faster; how strange, Byleth thought. She never thought of herself as someone who could make others nervous when it came to matters outside of assassination.

“May I ask something of you?” asked Edelgard; her hand loosened around Byleth’s, and Byleth took that as her cue to take her hand away and lean back. There was a small bit of loss at not being able to feel Edelgard’s heartbeat anymore, but Byleth nonetheless wanted to respect Edelgard’s space — and it meant she’d just have to treasure this rare chance to be with Edelgard in this kind of way.

“What is it?” Byleth asked.

“You can call me El, if you’d like, when we’re alone together,” Edelgard said, a little breathless. “It’s what my parents and siblings used to call me.”

“El,” said Byleth, getting a feel of the name. It seemed to weigh in the air just a little differently, a different kind of way of calling an Emperor. “That’s a beautiful name.”

If Edelgard was going to reply, her answer was cut short when a hard knock came at the door, harshly interrupting the subtle sound of the private springs with its gentle waterfall and soothing waters. Then Dorothea’s voice came loud from the other side, _ “Hey! _ Are you two done? We’re going to roast marshmallows in the yard!”

“We’ve got drinks too!” came Caspar’s muffled voice.

Byleth heard a huff of amused exasperation from Edelgard. “Yes, we’ll join you soon. Just give us a few minutes!”

Byleth let Edelgard get out of the water first, keeping her eyes still respectfully closed, until Edelgard gave her the cue that she could look and get out as well — when Byleth did, Edelgard was standing by the door, clad in her robe once more, albeit very red in the face. Perhaps it was just the heat of the steam, Byleth thought, as she grasped her towel and put it around herself before joining Edelgard to leave.

—-

The evening proved a lively one, a fun escapade in the backyard as Petra and Hubert took turns telling scary stories (much to Bernadetta’s consternation), with Petra telling stories from her homeland and Hubert simply being who he was. There was some heated talk with Edelgard about changing the team’s name (“Strike Team sounds boring, Edie!”), before a thoroughly exasperated Edelgard made a promise that she’d rethink their branding at a later time. They managed to end the night on a good note with happy cheers and many marshmallows (some set on fire on accident), and a drunken Caspar and Ferdinand sang loud songs before Hubert bodily picked them up and led them to their bedrooms, and the team tucked in for the night.

So the next morning, when Edelgard woke up in bed, she grit her teeth and stared at the ceiling. Today was the day she had to tell the others the truth. She and Hubert had already assigned a meeting time for later that day; there was no backing out now. The truth was coming, whether anyone wanted to hear it or not.

As Edelgard looked over at the empty side of the bed, she noted that once again Byleth had departed earlier — Edelgard made a mental note to tell Byleth she could sleep in while they were here at the springs. Maybe it’d be nice to wake up next to someone, for once. And especially after what had happened yesterday — Edelgard didn’t know what had come over her. Had it been weird to ask Byleth to feel her heartbeat? That didn’t sound like a normal thing to do.

Then again, Edelgard had to remind herself as she got dressed. She would never be normal. All her scars made sure of that. But even so...Byleth enjoyed being with her, and she hadn’t shunned away when she’d felt Edelgard’s scars. With a chuckle, Edelgard morbidly thought at least if she wasn’t normal, Byleth wasn’t either with her absent heartbeat. Maybe that was a good thing.

Hubert came to her door, punctual as ever. “Your Majesty,” he murmured, and the two of them fell into step as they walked along the hallways.

“News, Hubert.”

“I believe I have a credible candidate for who betrayed our plans to Rhea,” he said under his breath as they turned a corner, and Edelgard gave him a sharp look.

“Who?”

“Recall our two agents still at the monastery. The Knight, and the Monk.”

Jeritza. Solon, or as he so cleverly disguised himself, Thomas.

“You suspect one of them?”

“The Monk, in particular. You know that he’s not exactly under our jurisdiction.”

No, Solon wasn’t. But what motive would he have to somehow slip to Rhea their plans? He and his..._ people _ sought Rhea’s destruction. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to just let Rhea be caught by surprise?

“Explain, Hubert.”

He glanced at her. “I suspect that..._ Arundel _ may have gotten a bit impatient with us. That we’re not moving fast enough. He had the Monk leak the plans to accelerate the timeline, to get Rhea to make a move first so that we would in turn.”

Biting her tongue to stop herself from swearing aloud, Edelgard clenched her hands together. It took _ time _ to plan a war to overthrow an entire continent’s government and structure. Her uncle had wanted to execute the plan when she’d been at Garreg Mach; Edelgard had pushed back, arguing that that then wasn’t the time, not until they knew more of what secrets Rhea had and how the Knights of Seiros operated. Now, with years past since she’d graduated, it made some sense that their shadowed allies had perhaps thought Edelgard was moving too slow to take action. Or perhaps they thought she wasn’t going to make a move at all...

“And?” Edelgard asked stiffly.

“We’ve had the Monk..._ removed _ from the monastery. Our Knight’s made sure of it.”

Edelgard didn’t know if that meant Solon was dead or he’d simply gone back into the shadows, but either way, it at least ensured no further news would get to Rhea. Jeritza would make sure of that, she was certain.

“If that’s true, then at this point, there’s nothing for us to do but to continue our plans. As frustrating as it is,” Edelgard said, the two of them exiting a hallway and into an outdoor walkway, where morning light cast warmth across them both as they strode across a little path through a zen garden. “Rhea’s hand being dealt really did indeed push us to move forward.”

“Rhea’s hand, as our Knight describes it, however, seems to be less…” Hubert paused for a moment, pursing his lips, and Edelgard glanced at him.

“What?”

“He believes something’s...amiss, with Rhea. She seems unstable. She almost had the Western Church entirely eliminated for a single rebellious priest — put there by our allies, of course, but the abrupt annihilation of a whole wing of the Church seems a bit drastic, no?”

“Hm.” Edelgard didn’t doubt Rhea’s ruthlessness, but it did seem uncharacteristic of her to execute justice on an entire branch. Sending a covert assassin after her was one thing; sending an entire force to take out dozens of priests and nuns was another. “That’s interesting. I’ll have to think on it more later. If she’s still of sound mind in some capacity, tell me, who did she assign to my ball? I can’t imagine she’d personally come to Enbarr herself.”

“Catherine,” Hubert replied. “There are no other Knights of Seiros coming with her.”

Good. One knight was better than multiple.

“Who’s coming from Faerghus?”

“Mercedes von Martritz. King Dimitri sends his regards, however. He and Dedue are in the far North to meet with diplomats from Sreng.”

A valid enough reason. It wasn’t like it’d been long since she’d last seen Dimitri at a trade meeting last year; she hadn’t expected him to appear at the ball. Mercedes, last Edelgard recalled, was a capable, albeit somewhat airheaded, person.

“From Leicester, then.”

“Hilda Goneril, and Marianne von Edmund.”

That caught Edelgard by surprise. “Not Lorenz? He’s the interim leader of the Alliance while Claude is in Almyra, isn’t he?”

“I’m still unsure as to why he declined, but my spies are looking into it. In the meanwhile, it seems as though both Claude and Lorenz agreed on sending Hilda and Marianne to your ball.”

How strange; she knew around this time of year, Claude was in Almyra, ruling there as its king. He would always came back for half the year to fulfill his role as leader of the Riegan house in the Alliance, before returning to his homeland and back again. In the meanwhile, Lorenz tended to care for his duties. Hilda and Marianne, from what Edelgard knew of reports, were capable nobles, but not who she would assume would be sent first to a royal party. 

Nonetheless, on the surface, that’s what it was. A party. And Edelgard did certainly remember that Hilda quite enjoyed those back at Garreg Mach.

“Thank you for telling me this, Hubert.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The two of them came to a building separate from the main house; a private space, away from others who might eavesdrop (Hubert assured her this room had been fully soundproofed). Already, in the open doorway, Edelgard saw her strike team sitting at a long, rectangular table; Linhardt and Caspar were in conversation with each other, Bernadetta was unrolling a map of Fodlan across the center of the table, Dorothea and Petra near the head of the table making idle talk in Brigidian, with Ferdinand proudly sitting at the left hand of the table’s head, awaiting his Emperor. Byleth had chosen to sit at Ferdinand’s side, politely listening to the idle chatter.

When Edelgard entered the room, the team stood and made respectful bows to the Emperor before sitting back down in silence. Even they could sense the decorum of the meeting, Edelgard thought mutely.

Edelgard took the head of the table, with Hubert sitting at her right after he shut the door.

For a moment, she gazed at her old friends; they all looked right back at her, attentive. She wondered just what they would look like when she unveiled the truth. Byleth watched her too, albeit Edelgard had the strange feeling that Byleth already knew what she was going to say.

“Thank you all for gathering here today, with me. What I have to tell you all today does _ not _ leave these walls. It’s imperative that this remain under confidentiality, until I say so. Am I understood?”

Nods, acknowledgements.

Edelgard took in a deep breath. And then she began.

—-

It took a long, long time to explain. First, what Seiros was, what the Church of the Goddess truly stood for. She spoke of the children of the Goddess, and their war against Nemesis — how it’d simply been to instigate a false rule over the people of Fodlan, over humanity, and that Nemesis had probably no doubt been just a normal man attempting to rebel. Linhardt at times took the opportunity to join her side, using magic to display diagrams and timelines of what she, Hubert, and Linhardt thought was the actual truth of events; that Crests had been used as a means of controlling major families and rulers of royalty throughout Fodlan’s history, with the Church as the leading figure behind it all. Edelgard even told them all the truth that had been passed down the Hresvelg line; the truth that Wilhelm I had offered his alliance to Seiros in exchange for her power, and the acceptance that Seiros would rewrite history.

That explained the past. Now it was time to explain the present.

She went through the motions of explaining the secrets of Garreg Mach, and how Rhea herself wasn’t what she seemed. With Byleth’s permission, Edelgard told the table about Byleth’s Crest of Flames, and Jeralt’s mistrust of Rhea and what she might have done to an innocent infant. Then — as painful as it was — Edelgard told the truth of herself, showing off her own Crest of Flames, again much to everyone’s shock and surprise, aside from Hubert, Byleth, and Linhardt. Ferdinand clapped a hand to his mouth when Edelgard told of the experiments done to her and her siblings, how they’d all died for the sake of a Crest, and he went deathly pale as she finished.

“That’s why, in a week’s time, I plan on announcing my formal declaration of war on the Church of Seiros. I will abolish the system of Crests, its royalty based off of it, everything — not just here in Adrestia, but all over Fodlan. This entire continent and its history was built off this value of _ blood, _ and so if I must spill blood to accomplish this goal, then I will do so.” Voice made of hardened steel, Edelgard continued, “I cannot allow what occurred to me to happen to anyone else. I cannot allow Crests to define our way of life any longer, when Crests themselves have caused so much suffering.” She looked at Bernadetta, and Dorothea, then Byleth. “I will ensure that Fodlan’s future is one based off of merit and effort, not by value of blood or of status. No longer will humanity be enslaved to the will of false gods; it will be led by humanity’s hand, and humanity alone will decide its fate.”

Looking around the table, she saw that many of her friends were in shock, faces pale, eyes wide. There was a heavy weight in the air, the full truth of Fodlan’s history laid down upon them all.

“As to why I’m telling the truth to you all today, is because I want to ask for you all to join me on my endeavor to free Fodlan. I ask that all of you join me in my fight, should you be so willing.” This time Edelgard focused her gaze on Petra. “I understand these are Fodlan matters at hand, so I do not expect, nor ask that Brigid give aid, only that you understand that I require Dorothea to be here for a while longer.”

Petra gave a slow nod, her lips pursed, as if she were still processing everything Edelgard had said.

Dorothea, on the other hand, let out a heavy sigh, leaning back in her chair. With a hand pressed to her temple, she said softly, “A war, Edie. You want us to join a war against Rhea. Against the whole _ Church. _”

“Yes, the whole Church,” Linhardt said from his chair, his shoulders slumped — he’d spoken for quite a while as well. “I enjoy studying Crests, yes, but I’m sure everyone here knows I couldn’t care less for royal titles. I, for one, will be joining Edelgard. I’m in this deep already, anyway.”

“If Linhardt’s going, then I am too,” Caspar said; though a sweat had broken out on his brow, no doubt from all the thinking he’d had to do in the past hour, he too gave a solemn and resolute nod. “I can tell you’re really serious, Edelgard. You really wanna make the world a better place. I wanna do that too.”

That was the most simplest way of explaining what Edelgard wanted to do, but it was true enough. She nodded at them both, a little relieved; she’d known Linhardt would join her regardless, but it was reassuring to know that Caspar did too.

“If that really means Crests won’t decide our lives anymore, then I-I want to join too,” Bernadetta said from her chair, her hands tightly clasped in front of her. Although she was pale faced too, she looked at Edelgard with a rare look of determination. “M-my family...what Crests meant to them. I don’t want it to be like that anymore. I-I’ll help you, Edelgard. Just like you helped me.”

For just a moment, the two of them shared small smiles. Bernadetta had come a long way from being a frightened recluse; now she was slowly, but surely, coming into her own with bravery as her defining trait.

Ferdinand was hoarse when he spoke up. “I understand now,” he whispered. “It’s because of my father, and Hubert’s father, that...that all happened to you.”

“It’s why your father’s imprisoned and my father is dead,” Hubert said, and there was a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

“Your father didn’t die from an accident,” said Ferdinand, hoarse.

“No, he didn’t.”

“I’d simply thought my father was imprisoned for his corruption.” Ferdinand looked away, his gaze elsewhere, but there were hints of tears in his eyes. “I knew he’d had questionable business dealings, along with those other lords. I had no idea that it was due to him and the other lords that…” He choked back a sob, burying his face in his hands. “Edelgard, I’m so _ sorry.” _

“Ferdinand,” Edelgard said sharply, and he looked up, his face torn with emotion. “I know you didn’t know. I do not blame you for your father’s actions.”

“But I must atone for him slandering the Von Aegir name,” whispered Ferdinand, and he abruptly jerked his sword out of its sheath at his side, standing up so fast his chair skidded behind him and members of the table let out shouts of surprise. Byleth, next to him, quickly grabbed hold of his wrist to stop him but he wrenched his arm away, throwing himself down on one knee before Edelgard before pressing the tip of the sword at his heart. When Byleth quickly stood up, one hand on her own sword at her hip, Edelgard raised her hand to stop her, giving a minute shake of her head before she looked down at Ferdinand before her.

His words came choked full of regret, bitterness, and shame, and he spoke his words to the ground. “Members of the royal family of Adrestia are _ dead _ due to my father’s actions. I can no longer accept the Von Aegir name — my family, and myself, are no longer fit to serve Adrestia’s Emperor. I offer my death as—”

“Death won’t save you, Ferdinand,” said Edelgard, and though her voice was quiet, it carried pure authority, a hidden strength that made Ferdinand freeze. “Do you truly believe that your family can be redeemed in the death of one of the finest Von Aegirs known to Adrestian history? Do you believe that the death of Adrestia’s most beloved prime minister will make your family name any better?”

Ferdinand’s hands were shaking, his sword trembling by his heart. Tears dropped to the floor, and onto his blade.

“If you so wish to seek atonement for your father’s actions, I will not stop you. But as your Emperor, I order you to _ live. _ To fight by my side, and to ensure that no other families are stripped apart for the sake of Crests, Ferdinand.”

Ferdinand’s hands gripped his sword, and for a moment, Edelgard really did think he was going to end his life right then and there — but then he looked up at her, tears down his cheeks, but there was something like a pained smile on his face too. “Your Majesty,” he said, and Edelgard had never heard him talk to her in such a way, each word imbued with respect and devotion. “If that is a direct order from the Emperor herself, then I will abide by it. My life is yours to use as you see fit — I will fight wherever you want me to fight, and I will die wherever you want me to die.”

“Then live, when I tell you to live.” Edelgard held her hand out, and Ferdinand glanced at it, almost in disbelief — but then a look of resolve came across his face, and he grasped Edelgard’s hand, allowing her to pull him back up. Sheathing his sword, he gave a low bow to his Emperor, his jaw set, before he took his seat back.

There was palpable relief in the air; even Hubert relaxed his shoulders a little. None of them wanted to see Ferdinand die in that moment, let alone die by his own hand. Byleth sat back down too, albeit she cast Ferdinand a long glance.

After a long moment, Petra said slowly, “I...myself, personally, do wish to help you Edelgard. I will join you on the battlefield.” She and Dorothea exchanged a look; even with no words, they seemed to know what the other was thinking. “I believe it is...right, to do so. It feels very right to help.” Pointing at her heart, Petra added, “And you are my friend. I will fight with you.”

Edelgard’s heart swelled a little in her chest; though she kept her expression straight and she nodded at Petra, who nodded in return, she couldn’t help but feel a strong affection for Petra. Her heart had always been in the best of places; it was why Edelgard knew Brigid would flourish under her rule.

“Thank you for your support, Petra, but are you certain?” asked Edelgard.

“Will your people agree to this, as well?” Hubert asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sighing, Petra leaned an elbow on the table, head on her hand. “I am uncertain. I know some will be eager to help. I know some will not be. But as Queen, I will attempt to ask for more support Brigid, but if this war is happening very soon then I do not know how much support I can provide.”

“We’ll go over the finer details of an actual alliance at a later point in time, then,” Hubert said, to which Petra gave a nod of agreement; political details could be decided later.

Though Dorothea sighed, she too couldn’t help but give Edelgard a small smile. “So this is what you and Hubie have been up to. No wonder you had my spies visit the branches of the Church so often.”

Edelgard gave a morbid chuckle. “It’s useful knowing where the Knights of Seiros are going, and what the political climate is like at each branch.”

“Clever and smart as always, Edie.” Dorothea tapped her fingers against the table, eyeing the Fodlan map at the center, with Garreg Mach in the middle. “You know that I’m all in for this millenia-old dismantling of religious institutions, but a war like this will go on for a while, you know.”

‘I’m well aware.”

“So, then,” Dorothea straightened up, becoming a little business like as she met Edelgard’s and Hubert’s gaze. “Now that we’ve all agreed to starting a war, I need to know what our orders are.”

—-

The rest of the day was spent going over the logistics. How and when they would attack, what supply lines were like, where troops were stationed, where Edelgard’s manifesto could be disseminated the fastest amongst the public, how to counter their enemies’ forces and how they might act and react in turn. Edelgard explained how the group gathered today would be her own personal force; she would personally lead them into battle at Garreg Mach, which is why she’d been training them on the daily with Byleth. Dorothea asked at one point if Edelgard had sought to tell Claude or Dimitri of her plans — however, Edelgard believed strongly in telling them after she’d declared war. She was averse to telling far more powerful leaders of her intentions before she executed her actions; who knew how they would react, and how they might impede her from doing what she had to do. It was why she’d made sure that royal dignitaries of all kinds would appear at the ball; they would deliver the message of her war personally to their leaders, and from there, they could see where the wind would blow.

Edelgard hoped that Claude might see her point of view; she planned on asking him for an alliance at a later point in time as well. She knew that he’d always suspected and been weary of the Church, but she wondered if he knew the full extent of its misdeeds.

For Dimitri...Edelgard wasn’t sure. She was aware of Cornelia’s — and in turn, their shadowed allies — presence in Faerghus’ courts but she could only hope that Dimitri had remained as goodhearted as he’d been back in Garreg Mach. Maybe he would understand. Maybe he wouldn’t.

Their talks went long into the night, until Linhardt passed out at the table and spilled his tea over the map of Fodlan. They all retired to their rooms, albeit when Edelgard gave Byleth a subtle look to silently ask if she was coming to her room, Byleth made a small nod — but she’d whispered in Edelgard’s ear, “I might be a little late.”

—-

So while Edelgard went to her bedroom, Byleth went to hers and got changed. In the meanwhile, Sothis hovered near her, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

As Byleth stripped off her vambraces, Sothis said, “You’re really doing this, aren’t you?”

Knowing what Sothis was implicitly asking, Byleth simply nodded. She got to work on unbuckling her greaves, bending down.

“War,” Sothis said softly, and she looked distant for a moment. “Fodlan hasn’t seen war for centuries, yet I feel as though the very concept of war is...familiar to me, in some way.”

Byleth said nothing. She placed her greaves aside and sat on her bed, taking off her tights.

“This...Church. This Rhea,” Sothis thought aloud. “Something feels...off, to me, about it. I’m sure you feel it as well.”

Glancing up at Sothis, Byleth met Sothis’ gaze with her own. “I do. It’s something about Rhea. Not just what she...might’ve done to me.”

“You think I’m related to it, too,” Sothis said, speaking aloud Byleths’ suspicions. “That somehow, me existing is what causes you to have no heartbeat. That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”

Shrugging, Byleth placed her tights aside and got to work undoing her pauldrons.

“As much as it pains me to say it and admit you might be right, I am assuming the same.” Sothis chewed on her cheek once more, placing a finger at her chin. “Regardless, I feel as though _ I’m _ not remembering something very important. Something that I _ should _ know, about myself, and you.”

The mystery of Sothis had been one that Byleth had long accepted would just be a mystery; the few times she’d tried to explain to Jeralt that a girl with pointed ears and green hair was following her around, Jeralt had gone quizzical (“You have an imaginary friend? At this age?”), but he’d had no answers either. When she’d asked a few other mercenaries about it, they’d regarded her with incredulity — after that, Byleth dropped the subject, never deigning to mention it. She was already well aware that she wasn’t normal (Byleth had never quite gotten used to her demonic nickname) — so there wasn’t any need to exacerbate her reputation.

Sothis continued to muse aloud as Byleth stripped off her work underclothes before changing into her simple black shirt and shorts.

“Oh, heading out?” Sothis asked. “You could try asking that ambassador and that queen tomorrow, you know. That thing you wanted to do.”

“I’d like to ask now, so that I can practice with them in the morning.”

Rolling her eyes, Sothis sighed. “Fine.”

—-

Byleth then left and headed straight to Dorothea’s and Petra’s bedroom.

When she knocked on the door, she heard a loud _ oomph _ then someone swearing, then rapid footsteps, then Dorothea hastily sliding the door open just a bit. It’d looked like she’d already disrobed, and she clumsily held her dress in front of her bare body with one hand; Byleth glanced behind her to see a Petra peeking up above the blankets of their bed, similarly undressed.

“Y-yes, Byleth? Did you need something?” Dorothea asked, breathless.

Unperturbed, Byleth said, “Oh. I wanted to ask if you had plans the rest of the week here.”

“No, no! Just helping Edie with whatever she needs, you know. Starting a war and all that.” Dorothea put on a smile, but she was bouncing on the balls of her feet a little too. “Did you want to do something?” 

“Does she want to join us?” Petra asked from inside the room.

“Oh, do you? I thought you and Edie— or, I mean, if Edie wants to join us too, I don’t mind.” Under her breath, Dorothea said, “Damn, I didn’t know Edie was into that.”

“Join you?” Byleth asked, blinking.

_ “Oh.” _ Realization dawned on Dorothea’s face, then pure sympathy came second. “No, nothing! It’s alright.” Back at Petra, Dorothea said, “She’s not joining us, darling.”

“Oh. Next time will be okay!”

“What did you need, Byleth?” Dorothea asked, turning back around.

Byleth paused, glancing from Dorothea to Petra, and back. “I recall that you are an accomplished singer and dancer. I was wondering if you might help me learn how to dance. I would like to dance with Edelgard at the ball.”

In that second, Byleth had never seen Dorothea look so positively delighted at extra lessons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edelgard and byleth sittin five feet apart in the hot springs bc EDELGARD'S A BABY GAY LOOOOOOOOLLL I WAS LAUGHING TO YMSELF THE WHOLE HOT SPRINGS SCENE IT'S JUST SO FUNNY i really did strongly think of writing it from Edelgard's point of view but :thonk: writing it from Byleth's just seemed FUNNIER LOL BECAUSE SOTHIS IS THERE TOO 
> 
> also i consider the hot springs to be like a mixed hot springs, so that's why the rest of the beagles were together lol (I JUST KEEP LAUGHING at the beagles being all together in a hot spring just butt naked bc u KNOW caspar would do that one mulan scene where he's like. I'M KING OF THE ROCK and hubert is like i have literally gone blind)
> 
> hopefully next time :') edie can join her friends ... i rly do like all beagles scenes and them loving each other ;-; they all care each other ...i'm emo
> 
> ALSO THE FERDINAND SCENE i'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO WRITE A SCENE LIKE THt BECAUSE if you have Dorothea fight Ferdinand in VW, their dialogue is so juicy because Ferdinand is just like "You will not understand my duty or hers." and i'm 100% dead certain that's because edie told ferdie that his dad (+ other shitty nobles) are the reason why she's the way she is...and ferdinand just feels absolutely fucked up over the thought that b/c of his dad, edie's childhood was essentially...destroyed :(( so he fights for edelgard because he belives so strongly it's what he's meant to do to atone for his family's actions
> 
> anyway, sorry for the long chapter lol the next one i'm going to try and CRAM A BUNCH OF STUFF IN IT TOO so sORRY FOR THE LONG WAITS and long chapters that might feel like they're dragging on a little LOL WE CAN MAKE IT THROUGH YOU GUYS STAY WITH ME


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwaah...i think i finally have a final chapter count HOPEFULLY ONLY TWO MORE. TWO MORE CHAPTERS U GUYS HOLD OUT WITH ME LOL
> 
> i tried to add just a little more beef to this chapter but it's a lot of fluff haha...also bc i love hot springs episode, it's like beach episode LOL sorry this isn't as wordy as the last chapter ;-; but i do have a chunk going of the next chapter so maybe that'll be posted sooner rather than later (??) depends on how my fulltime job goes and. all my other commitments 
> 
> thanks for reading!!

When Edelgard awoke the next morning, she kept her eyes closed for just a moment longer, breathing the cool air into her lungs, then breathing out. Yesterday had been so..._ exhausting. _ They’d made a great amount of headway in making plans, but even so, there was still much to do.

But at least...she had her closest friends at her side. To hear that they would all join her in her quest to free humanity from the shackles of lies and false gods...it made her feel a certain way, and she laid a hand over her beating heart.

A beating heart…

Opening her eyes, Edelgard glanced to her left, and found herself breathless.

Byleth.

Byleth was there, still fast asleep, her hair askew. In the dim lighting of the morning diffusing a golden glow against the wooden panels of the room, there was a subtle golden outline around Byleth’s figure, and her chest rose and fell with each slow breath she took. Her hand rested on her pillow, and even in sleep, she’d tilted her head just slightly towards Edelgard.

Edelgard swallowed, feeling wide awake.

Byleth had really...stayed.

When Edelgard had asked that of Byleth last night, she hadn’t quite expected Byleth to really do so though she’d certainly agreed. A part of her just didn’t think it was exactly appropriate — but then again, ever since Byleth had started staying over, it wasn’t like they’d been doing anything particularly unbecoming. “It’s for the appearance of the mock assassinations,” Edelgard would justify to herself though they’d long since dropped that facade — it’d been some time since Byleth had simply admitted there wasn’t any simple way to assassinate her without bringing an entire army through the walls.

Now, to realize that Byleth had indeed kept her word and...stayed, Edelgard couldn’t help but stare a little while longer. Though she’d seen Byleth unconscious before, it seemed different to see her asleep; Edelgard was far more used to falling asleep first to the sound of Byleth’s quite voice. Nightmares had been far and few in between, and to have a full night’s rest for quite some time made Edelgard feel all the more grateful for Byleth’s presence.

Byleth was...warm. Safe. She was…

Edelgard bit her lip. What...was Byleth to her, really?

Rolling onto her side, Edelgard scooted just a little closer to her assassin. She’d been close to Byleth before — like that one time she’d kicked her in the face — but getting the chance to really _ look _ at Byleth without concern or worry gave Edelgard the opportunity to see Byleth in a strangely new way.

In slumber, Byleth looked at peace in the quiet morning; when Edelgard glanced over the rest of Byleth’s body, she vividly recalled what it’d been like to trace her fingers over Byleth’s many scars, how it’d felt to have that bare skin and lean muscle underneath her touch…

Then Edelgard glanced at Byleth’s hand resting near her head, and she bit her lip, recalling now just how _ fast _ her heart had beat in her chest when Byleth’s calloused hand had rested just there, at her heart…

That’d been by far the most physically intimate she’d ever been with anyone.

Unconsciously, Edelgard pressed a hand over her heart again. It was beating fast once more. It’d never done that for anyone else.

What...What _ did _ she feel, then, for Byleth?

Holding her breath, Edelgard moved just a little closer, and she pushed herself up onto her elbow, just enough that she could get a full view of Byleth’s face. And truth be told, there was genuine beauty there — there, in the angle of her jaw, the slant of her brow, the slight part of her lips (maybe Edelgard spent just a little _ too _ long staring at Byleth’s lips, and she felt a heated blush on her face). If Dorothea were the word ‘gorgeous’ personified, then Byleth was just ‘lovely,’ in all her simplicity.

Glancing over at Byleth’s open hand resting by her head, Edelgard felt the wheels in her head turn. Then, with a bit of tentativeness, she reached her hand out — when her fingers were just an inch away from Byleth’s, she hesitated and held herself back. What if Byleth woke up, and caught her just...holding her hand? Would that be inappropriate? What would Byleth think?

What did...Byleth think of her?

But...Byleth had said that she’d enjoyed being with her.

Maybe Edelgard could take comfort in that thought.

She reached her hand out all the way, trembling fingers interlacing with Byleth’s, until their palms were against the other’s. Holding her breath, Edelgard marveled at the feeling of just...holding someone’s hand, with no connotations, no hidden agendas. She could just...touch Byleth like this.

But then Byleth woke up.

If Edelgard’s heart were beating before, it abruptly stopped in her chest when Byleth’s hand briefly tightened around her own, Byleth herself squinting awake.

Frozen, Edelgard could only stare.

“El,” Byleth murmured, glancing up at Edelgard. Then — with a small smile, face aglow from the morning light, Byleth said softly, “Good morning, El.”

That hit Edelgard like a ton of bricks. A ‘fuckton’ of bricks, as Caspar would say.

_ El. _

_ Good morning, El. _

_ El. _ She’d said _ El. _ In that kind of voice, all soft and sweet, in the most kindest way anyone had ever said her name. 

“El?” Byleth said softly, a flicker of concern in her voice. “Are you alright?” Her hand tightened around Edelgard’s.

“Say that to me again,” Edelgard said, barely able to hear herself. “Say my name, just like that.”

Byleth paused, but she nonetheless said once more, “El.”

Just hearing Byleth say her name like that — Edelgard could do nothing more but simply stare, all the breath gone from her lungs, the only sound in her ears the faded echo of her own name, a name that she hadn’t heard in years, a name never once said so gently with such care. It felt like being called back — the part of herself she’d long since thought she’d lost.

“El,” Edelgard whispered. “You said my name, _ El.” _

For a moment, Byleth said nothing, only meeting Edelgard’s gaze with her own. Then, much to Edelgard’s surprise, Byleth withdrew her interlaced fingers from Edelgard’s — only to then grasp Edelgard’s hand in such a way that she tilted her head in and pressed her lips lightly to her knuckles. Softly, Byleth said, “As you wished for me to.”

With no other way to react than with a very heated blush on her face, Edelgard could only marvel and fathom just how _ smooth _ Byleth could be, whether intentionally or not. Falling back down onto the bed and resting her head at the edge of her pillow, her hand still lightly held in Byleth’s, Edelgard found herself at a loss for words.

Byleth, unperturbed, only sighed and closed her eyes once more, loosely letting go of Edelgard’s hand. “I’m going to sleep some more, El.”

“Okay,” was all Edelgard could compel herself to say.

So while Byleth fell asleep for some time longer, Edelgard simply laid there, her thoughts and heart a woeful mess.

—-

The rest of the retreat was, as Edelgard promised, an easygoing one. She tried to keep meetings about upcoming logistics for the war to a minimum, only ever having brief talks with Hubert and those necessary before pursuing other things. This time might be the only peace they might have for a while…

That thought made Edelgard’s heart heavy, but she did her best to enjoy the little pieces of respite and light she did have.

She had tea sessions with each of her friends, little moments underneath the shade of a tree in a small corner of the garden. A little stream made a neat little island around the spot, providing privacy, and all around were blooming flowers and shrubs, interwoven with patches of rocks upon swirls of sand, or little ponds teeming with white and gold fish, speckled with bright scales in the afternoon sun.

During one of those peaceful afternoons, she spoke with Linhardt and Caspar of their plans for the future; once Linhardt found a way to free her from the burden of two crests, he showed her a map of the the countries around Fodlan, pointing out the places he and Caspar wanted to visit and see. Linhardt was curious to learn about the world at large, while Caspar simply wanted to expand his horizons in meeting new people and seeing new places. Though Caspar was blissfully oblivious, neither Linhardt nor Edelgard voiced the thought that both of them had about their very near future, and whether either might live long enough to see it.

Choosing to have a private tea time with Ferdinand, the two of them had a quiet moment together. Edelgard could see his slumped shoulders, the weariness in his eyes, the darkened shadow across his face; no doubt he was still thinking of his family’s monumental failure, blaming it on himself.

“Ferdinand,” Edelgard said softly, and he looked at her, a sadness in his gaze. “I’ve made my peace with what happened to me, and I’ve executed my retribution on those who’ve hurt both me and my family. There’s no need for you to wallow in your sorrow.”

He tore his gaze away, shutting his eyes tight. “But I myself cannot make peace with it, Your Majesty.” As Edelgard was about to open her mouth to respond, he let out a deep breath, before opening his eyes and glancing at her. “Do not misunderstand me. I intend to move forward with you and your goal with all the strength and determination I have. I have not lost sight of what’s at stake.”

Edelgard let him have a moment, saying nothing and giving only a curt nod.

“But even so,” he said quietly. “If...I may just have the time to mourn. For your family, and...mine, if I may be so selfish to ask of you.”

Understanding what her longtime friend was saying between his words, Edelgard let the rest of their time together be in silence. With Ferdinand always prizing his family name and history above all else, to now have that pride and love so painstakingly crushed...she knew what it could do to a man, and she knew exactly what it’d done to man like Ferdinand.

So they spent their little pocket of quiet with just each other’s company and the rustle of the wind as their only companion, and when their time came to an end, Edelgard tentatively reached her hand out, gently placing it on his forearm. She still wasn’t at ease with comforting people, but she still wanted to show _ some _ measure of gratefulness that Ferdinand was still at her side, even after all this time.

The look of surprise Ferdinand gave her was brief, but for just a moment, Edelgard saw just a small bit of his old smile return, and that brought her her own sense of comfort. Then to Edelgard’s surprise, Ferdinand got off his chair and knelt before her on the ground, grasping her hand in his own, much like a knight would.

“I know my duty,” he said solemnly. “And I know yours. I will see it through, to the very end, Your Imperial Majesty.” Ferdinand then gave her a small smile. “And, if I may be so blunt, I will continue to offer you counsel, if you so wish.”

Chuckling, Edelgard replied, “Nothing would bring me a greater sense of peace and security to have and to hear your advice, Ferdinand. You are, after all, one of my cherished friends.”

“And you, mine, Edelgard.”

After that, Ferdinand did seem to marginally cheer up and return a little to his old boisterous self. Though there was still a serious weight placed on his shoulders, Edelgard knew that Ferdinand was doing the best with what he had — and that was all she could ask of him.

On a lighter note, Edelgard enjoyed her tea times with Bernadetta. Back at Garreg Mach, aside from Ignatz, she and Bernie had been the few students who’d participated actively in any fine arts related to drawing and painting. She spent her tea times with Bernie looking over Bernie’s sketchbooks and doodles, the two of them giggling at some of Bernie’s ridiculous doodles of the team. Ferdinand with extravagantly broad shoulders, Hubert drawn almost like a towering black bat, Caspar just a bright ball like a sun. Though Edelgard didn’t have much free time as Emperor to draw like she used to, she still had her skills…

“Oh, that’s beautiful, Bernie. That’s a lovely painting of Dorothea,” Edelgard said, looking over from her painting easel and towards Bernie’s canvas, the two of them sitting next to each other in the garden. Bernie had painted a lovely portrait of Dorothea in front of a background of blooming flowers.

“O-oh! Th-thanks,” said Bernie with a sheepish smile. Over the years, she’d made effort to accept compliments more easily. “I-it could be better if I had Dorothea to actually reference, since this is just from memory.”

“Ah, true. I’d heard she was busy doing something with Byleth and Petra. Perhaps we can ask her to model for us later this evening.”

“S-speaking of B-Byleth, Edelgard, y-your painting of her is r-really pretty, too!” Bernie said, taking the time to look over at Edelgard’s canvas. Edelgard wasn’t quite at the level of Bernie’s painting skill, but she knew enough to paint her own interpretation of what Byleth looked like — she’d tried her best to capture Byleth’s elusive smile, something she didn’t feel she’d quite done justice to just yet. There was just something about the way Byleth smiled...

Now it was Edelgard’s turn to blush red. “N-no, it’s r-really not, it’s just—”

“It’s pretty! I think it’s really pretty!” said Bernie with a vigorous nod. “I like it when Byleth smiles too.”

“Sh-she does have a lovely smile.” Now Edelgard was the one stammering through their conversation.

“Y-you should show her your painting, Edelgard. I think she’d like it.” Bernie gave another nod. 

“Oh, _ goodness, _ no, I couldn’t possibly, I don’t think I could,” said Edelgard, hunching her shoulders a little. She didn’t think she was _ that _ good, and she wasn’t anywhere near Bernie’s level such that her paintings could be shown to a wider audience other than herself and her friend.

“I’m sure she’d like it though!”

Letting out a breathless laugh, Edelgard said, “I’m surprised you’re encouraging me to show my art to people. I’m nowhere near as talented as yourself.”

“I, um, I...I don’t think you should cut yourself sh-short,” said Bernie, and Edelgard looked over to see Bernie with a rare look of summoned-up courage. “I remember when I was really shy about sh-showing my art to people, but y-you encouraged me to, and…” She blushed a little. “Then I got to paint your royal portrait. I-if I hadn’t shown my art to people, I...wouldn’t have had that chance.”

“Oh,” Edelgard said, unused to hearing such positivity from Bernie of all people. “Well, I suppose I should be listening to my own advice.” Chuckling, Edelgard looked back at her canvas. “I’ll...I’ll consider showing...something. J-just not this one, I don’t think it _ quite _ hits the spot…”

After some time of painting in the garden, the two of them finished their pieces, and servants deftly came in and stored the pieces away, with Edelgard emphasizing that Byleth was _ not _ to see her own painting until Edelgard gave the command. She wanted to spend more time sketching and drawing Byleth first...Perhaps then she’d have a better feel on how to draw her.

“Th-that reminds me. The...thing you commissioned me for,” Bernie said as the two stretched their backs after a long few hours of sitting. Lowering her voice a little to a tiny squeak, Bernie continued, “I’d like to show it to you.”

“Oh? Let me summon Hubert, and then let’s go to your room.”

Back in Bernie’s room, Bernie held in her hands her finished craft. “I-I hope this is up to your st-standards. Wh-when you asked me for a new royal crown, I-I tried to give it the feel that you wanted.”

Some time ago when Hubert and Edelgard had realized they’d had to accelerate their plans and they’d summoned their allies to the capitol, Edelgard had seen fit to commission a new crown — the one she’d been bestowed with, the one her father had laid upon her head had been a crown worn by generations of Hresvelgs, had been gifted from Seiros herself. It was monumentally old, a relic of a time long past.

Well, no longer did Edelgard want any mark of Seiros on herself, or anyone close to her. She wanted something made from humanity’s hands, untouched by gods or monsters.

“It’s lovely,” Hubert said quietly at Edelgard’s side. “I think you did a fantastic job, Bernadetta.”

“As do I,” said Edelgard. She marveled at it; the requirements she’d given had been vague at best. She’d only wanted a crown that would symbolize that she was paving a new future for Fodlan, and no obstacle could or would stand in her way. The crown had to be, at first glance, something that would show regality and power, determination and fortitude, all at once.

And, of course, with hints of red. Couldn’t miss the Adrestian red.

“O-oh. Th-thanks. I-if you wanna try it on, uh, the mirror’s over here…”

The three of the moved over to the full length mirror at the side of the room, and Bernie, so small at Edelgard’s side, held the finished crown in her hands.

“May I?” Hubert murmured, holding out his hands.

“O-oh. Uh, Hubert.” Bernie gave him a sheepish look, and he only raised an eyebrow in response. “It’s a little complicated to put on. Here, I’ll teach you both…”

It took a few minutes, since they had to put up Edelgard’s hair and then fasten parts of the crown to each other once everything was set in place, but at the finished look, Edelgard looked closely at herself in the mirror.

Two horns, curving up from the side of her head, with an detailed diadem resting upon her brow with delicate curves and lines, and adorned in the center with a droplet of red. Despite its size, it rested lightly upon her, its weight far more heavier in meaning than in reality. Then, glistening white pearls lay embedded at the far most edges of the diadem, complimenting the fine gold of the entire ensemble. For once, Edelgard was grateful her white hair could match any kind of color.

Chuckling, Edelgard then said, “I suppose I’ll ram my way to the future.”

Tapping the tips of two fingers together, Bernie simply stammered, “I-I mean you said you wanted something that showed you d-doing that—!”

Hubert let out a little chuckle of his own. “I see you took our prompt quite literally. Either way, I believe it does a fine job of showing Her Majesty’s message. Thank you, most dearly.”

“I’d like to wear this at the ball, if that’s alright with you, Bernie,” said Edelgard, turning to her friend.

“O-oh! Y-yeah, sure! I-I just hope your outfit will match the crown too. I kind of made this in mind with just...you wearing. Um. Red. Since you wear that a lot.”

“Ah, yes. Our outfits. Hubert? Care to explain what the royal tailor has for the team?”

“Yes, Your Majesty…”

—-

While Hubert and Edelgard spent time with Bernie, elsewhere in the hot springs, was Byleth in a dance room with Petra in her arms. All around them were mirrors, reflecting back every inch of Byleth’s and Petra’s movements.

“No, no, wait, wait,” Dorothea said from the side, lips pursed. “Restart again. Byleth, in the second step sequence, you have to expand the range of your steps, otherwise Petra won’t have room to follow up.”

“Yes, Dorothea.” Panting, Byleth and Petra moved back to starting position.

While Edelgard had been having teatime with friends, Byleth had been spending her free hours with Dorothea and Petra, learning all the intricacies of formal ballroom dancing, alongside other contemporary dances. Dorothea made for quite an adept teacher; it made Byleth just a bit humbled to receive her dedicated counsel and sharp eye for detail. For Byleth, she didn’t want to disappoint Edelgard in anyway — it was only fitting that she perfect the dances she learned.

They practiced a few more rounds of that particular dance, until both she and Petra where sweating bullets, panting hard from exertion.

“Alright, take a break.” Dorothea clapped her hands, and both Petra and Byleth let out sighs of relief, letting each other go.

The three of them ended up sitting against the wall by the door, Petra and Byleth chugging water while Dorothea hummed a little tune as she went through a pamphlet in her hand — all the dance routines to rehearse.

“You’re doing quite well, Byleth, I must say,” Dorothea mused. “Better than I expected for someone who’s just been a simple assassin her whole life.”

“Thank you.”

“This is just like when Dorothea helped me practice how to do the dancing,” Petra said, using a small towel to wipe the beads of sweat from her brow. “It was very hard, but I think you are getting the moves very well, too.”

“Thank you, again.” 

Finishing taking a drink out of a waterskin and wiping her mouth with her hand, Byleth just gave a simple nod of acknowledgement. Petra had been her partner so Dorothea could oversee their movements — and it didn’t hurt to have Petra practice dances again, with the ball coming so soon. Truly, both Petra and Dorothea were marvels when it came to dance — they moved so fluidly, the few times that Byleth had gotten the chance to see them practice a dance together.

But what had really made Byleth so attentive was just...how happy the two of them looked dancing together. Dorothea’s carefree laugh, Petra’s warm and loving smile at her wife. It had made Byleth feel..._ something _ in her chest. Not a heartbeat, of course, but... _ something _ there.

She’d imagined what it’d be like to do that with Edelgard. Would Edelgard smile and laugh like that too? Byleth really hoped so. She really liked hearing El’s laugh, and seeing El’s smile.

“Do you want to call it for today and get some hot springs time, or do you want to continue practicing?” Dorothea asked, looking over at Byleth.

“I...am unsure. Am I good enough as I am now to dance with Edelgard?”

Dorothea burst out laughing. “Byleth, one, I don’t think she’s expecting you to dance at all, and two, if we count the fact you’ve only had a few days to practice, you’re doing _ incredibly _ well. I’d almost say it could almost seem like you’ve had a few years of practice. Not as much as me, though, of course. Or Manuela,” she added as an afterthought.

“I am thinking you will be just fine,” Petra said with a smile. “I think Edelgard will just be happy to dance with you.”

“Oh.” Byleth blinked. “You really think so?”

Now it was Petra’s turn to blink at her in amazement. “Yes. You like her, yes?”

“Yes.”

“And she likes you too,” said Petra.

“She really does like you, Byleth,” Dorothea added, giving her own vigorous nod. “She likes you. A lot.”

“Oh. I hope so. I like her too.”

“You _ like _ her? Or you _ like like _ her?” Dorothea said, leaning towards Byleth, scooting closer to Petra in between them.

“Like like? Dorothea, what does that mean? Does two likes make a negative?” Petra asked, brow furrowed. “I do not think Byleth does not like Edelgard.”

“No, honey, darling, it...I mean.” Dorothea let out a little chuckle. “I’m asking if Byleth has feelings for Edelgard.”

_ “Oh.” _ Petra nodded with realization, eyes wide. “I believe Edelgard has many feelings for Byleth. A lot of feelings for Byleth.” But then she paused, chewing on her cheek. “But Byleth, if I am allowed to be honest. Sometimes I think you are...not having feelings. You are very quiet.”

“I have feelings,” Byleth said, hunching her shoulders a little. “I am...trying to be better at expressing them. I am sorry if I do not appear that way.”

“No, no.” Dorothea gave her a sympathetic look. “We know, Byleth.”

“I am sorry! I did not mean to hurt your feelings!” Petra hurriedly putting a comforting hand on Byleth’s shoulder.

“But I suppose if we’re here talking about this...What feelings _ do _ you have for Edelgard?” Dorothea asked, and now both she and Petra leaned in a little towards Byleth.

“I…”

How could Byleth possibly describe all she felt and thought about Edelgard? How her beauty was beyond compare; Byleth had traveled to many places, seen many people, but she’d never seen someone as beautiful as Edelgard. Dorothea was gorgeous, yes, but there was just something about the way Edelgard looked that made Byleth want to look at her all the time — maybe it was that regal way she held herself, the solid fierceness of her lilac gaze, that little light that shone from her when she smiled, or laughed. Then Byleth had to think of just _ who _ Edelgard was; never once had Byleth met someone so steadfast and resolute in her ideals, yet also remain open-minded and caring at the same time. She wasn’t perfect, by all means; not quite a heart of gold, but a heart of righteous steel, unwavering and immovable, protective and fierce all at the same time. But underneath that hardened metal was someone that Byleth had come to see as... _ kind. _

There was vulnerability, there. That, underneath all of Edelgard’s walls was..._ love. _

For her team. Her friends. Her country. Her _ people. _

It was that that had made Byleth feel devoted and loyal, determined and compelled to follow Edelgard wherever she went.

And it made Byleth want...maybe just some of that love for herself, too.

But how could she say all that? She didn’t know how. She’d never felt this way before.

“...I…” Byleth whispered. “I cannot describe it.”

Petra and Dorothea exchanged looks, the both of them with sly, knowing smiles.

Clutching her waterskin in her hands, Byleth said softly, “I...I just know that I like being with her. I like it when she smiles. When she laughs. I like helping her. I like knowing that I _ can _ help her.”

“That’s good then,” Dorothea said gently, and Byleth looked up to see Petra and Dorothea with soft expressions. “Then let me say, we’re both glad that you’re at Edelgard’s side.”

“And I will continue to be.” That was a promise Byleth intended to keep, or die trying.

“Then if I may suggest something, while we’re here at the springs.” Dorothea gestured for Byleth to lean in...

—-

Later that evening, when Edelgard heard Byleth’s familiar knock on her door, she put aside her papers on her nightstand and got out of bed, eagerly sliding the door open—

To find Byleth standing there with a _ bouquet _ of red azaleas _ . _

Edelgard could only stare in surprise, mouth open.

“I thought you might like these,” Byleth said softly. “Dorothea told me these were your favorite flowers. And I wanted to get something nice for you.”

Edelgard gently took the flowers in her hands, breathless. “O-oh. Byleth. I’m terribly flattered. These are lovely.”

“Not as lovely as you.”

That hit Edelgard like another couple of bricks, and she stood there, almost in a daze as Byleth stepped inside, sliding the door closed behind her. How, and _ when, _ had Byleth gotten so smooth? And how, and _ when, _ did Edelgard start falling so _ hard? _

—-

With that, their time at the hot springs came to an end, and thankfully this time around, Hubert had permitted her to have time outside the confines of the royal carriage and to ride aside it on a horse with Byleth. That had made her face heat up when Byleth had pulled her up, and she’d felt Byleth behind her, pressed against her back. That had been Hubert’s one condition; she couldn’t be completely open, so Byleth was to be her shield while Hubert rode ahead on his own.

As their entourage left the hot springs, Edelgard couldn’t help but give a long, last look at it as they rode down the mountain; during the week, she hadn’t been able to summon the courage to be with her friends in the hot springs, but…

She made a promise, then. Years from now, when the war was over. She would go back there, with all her friends, and she’d be with them in the way she’d always wanted to.

But for now...She had a future to look forward to.

Turning back forward in the saddle, Edelgard, to her surprise, felt Byleth’s hand over her own as she held the reins.

“We’ll be back,” Byleth said softly.

With a small smile, Edelgard replied, “I promise, we all will. We’ll all come back. All of us.”

Even as she said those words, and even as she looked ahead, hands gripping the reins of her horse, with Byleth solidly at her back, Edelgard couldn’t help but pray — she believed in no gods, but she did it anyway — that they would all live to see a new dawn, not only for Fodlan, but for humanity too. She didn’t want to think of not having any of her closest friends at her side for the journey ahead, and she certainly didn’t want to think of losing the people closest to her…

For a long time, Edelgard had thought she’d lost that part of her heart that had been capable of loving.

But...as her heart beat in her chest, Edelgard, for the first time in a long time, thought she could feel something different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: product design and fashion design are completely separate fields from illustration and portraiture and various other arts and crafts and all require their own specific degree of study to become good at it  
also me: bernie can do any art. she can do anything. she is powerful. she can do whatever art i want her to do. i know this
> 
> it's also my personal hc that bernie w/ all her knowledge in art and stuff bc she likes to do all that writing and sewing and other arts and crafts makes a part of Edelgard's and all of CF's post-time skip outfits LOL like dorothea or edelgard conscript her into helping them design new uniforms and so she does :')  
i really did think of having edelgard go to the hot springs w/ her friends but ... i rly want there to be something for her to personally look forward to like in the game the 'let's all meet in 5 years!' this is like her version of it lol
> 
> thanks for reading!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW OH MY GOODNES!!! WE MADE IT!! i'm so sorry it's been like forever since i updated this, i was taking classes/fulltime job/edeleth vn with some cool peeps so a lot of my fic writing got thrown onto the back burner lmao
> 
> this chapter's a bit longer to make up for it and also b/c at the end of the day this fic is really just for my own fun and enjoyment lol i'm rly happy to see people like it too but i suppose i got tired of writing for a while bc i was always trying to make it 'perfect' which ... kind of defeats the purpose of just writing for fun lol
> 
> if u like it im really happy!! but if for some bizarre reason u dont like this fic and ur still reading it and u dont like parts of it then ??? dont read it lmao  
there are some times i aim for my writing to improve but just in this case it's rly just a fun passion project and on that note it's not always gonna be perfect or great lol

“So,” Edelgard said softly, standing in front of the full length mirror. “This is the day.”

“It is, Your Majesty,” said Hubert at her side, his voice a soft murmur as his delicate, thin fingers quickly fastened her cape to her shoulders.

At her other side stood Bernie, who only gave her a look of barely held back worry as she too fastened the buttons on Edelgard’s other shoulder.

“The guests, Hubert?”

“All in the grand throne room, as you requested.”

The room doubled as a ballroom and large meeting space; it was more than enough to house all of their newfound guests of nobility, high ranking merchants, other dignitaries of state and commerce and government. It was early evening, and slants of golden orange sunlight flit in through the window of the dressing room, alighting the floor in a glow but casting them in subtle shadow; blacks and golds, at odds with one another. Edelgard, glancing from her reflection and toward her two friends at her side, noted the contrast with a morbid chuckle. The sun, setting on the final day of peace.

For the next day, when the city’s people and her guests would be gathered to hear her annual speech at the steps of the castle, she would declare her true intentions.

Some of the guests, she knew, were already aware. Her friends, for one…

And her _ uncle, _ as well. Denying him an invitation to her little ball would’ve been a great slight to him and their shadowed allies, so Edelgard and Hubert had, with great bitterness, greeted him with cold cordiality and politeness when he’d arrived with his entourage. Arundel well and enough graciously left her alone to greet other incoming guests the day before, but she knew the time would come when the two would have to discuss of his own plans — and if they would get in the way of her own.

She didn’t doubt their plans would clash, in the far future. But that could be for later.

“And the Eagles?”

On a lighter note, she still hadn’t quite been able to find a suitable name for her team — she still thought _ Strike Team _ sounded cool, but she’d been shot down until out of exasperation, she’d just blurted out ‘the Black Eagles,’ their old house back at Garreg Mach. That, for some reason, had been met with excitement and cheers, so now they were just the _ Black Eagles. _

She had to admit, though. It did sound cool. To an extent.

“They’re at their positions, Your Majesty.” Hubert made a small gesture at Bernie, who nodded and picked up a pair of bloodred gloves lying on a table nearby. She handed one to Hubert, and Edelgard lifted her hands to allow the two to slide the gloves on before they got to work on fastening her gauntlets. “Dorothea, Petra, Ferdinand, Linhardt, and Caspar are in the throne room, entertaining guests. Byleth is with her father, still checking on security within the castle. Once she’s finished she’ll return to the throne room and resume personally guarding you there.”

“Good. Inform Petra to keep close, or at least nearby. I can’t imagine why, but I can’t afford for the assassination of the Queen of Brigid at my party.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And Bernie?”

“I’ll keep an eye out on the p-perimeter,” Bernie said, and she swallowed, no doubt sensing the seriousness of the conversation. “I-I’m not a big f-fan of parties, s-so…”

“That’s perfectly fine. This may be a fun party on the surface, but even I can’t help but feel...anxious,” Edelgard admitted. “I don’t think there’s any better assassin or guard than Byleth in the world, but even so. Be cautious, Bernie. Let us know if you spot _ anything.” _

“U-Understood, Your Majesty.”

“Keep an eye especially on Hilda and Marianne if they sneak out.”

“Oh. Why?” Bernie blinked.

The day before, when all their guests had arrived, Edelgard had politely met the two as they’d descended from Hilda’s all-too-ostentatious carriage (bedecked with what she suspected were jewels of the finest kind). Marianne, in all her courtesy, had given a respectful curtsy for a total of two seconds before Hilda abruptly threw herself upon Edelgard in an overly affectionate bear hug — naturally, Edelgard had gone as stiff as a rock, gritting her teeth as Hilda gave her light kisses on her cheeks before proceeding to do the same to Hubert (who also stiffened like board). _ That _ part of Hilda hadn’t changed one bit. They’d exchanged little pleasantries, Marianne making quiet remarks with Hilda filling in the gaps, and as they’d departed, Hilda had turned and gave a little wink at Edelgard and blown a kiss in the air at Hubert. ‘It’s always good to see old classmates,’ she’d called out as she’d walked away. ‘Missed you two!’

That had left the two of them just with a little pinkish tinge on their cheeks.

Hubert answered for her. “Claude hasn’t outgrown his penchant for scheming. Edelgard, Dorothea and I all suspect that they were sent here for an ulterior motive. If you see them sneaking away, going to places they shouldn’t be. Inform us, immediately, and alert the guards.”

“Knowing Claude,” Edelgard said with a grim tone. “I can’t help but feel those two might be up to something. Especially Hilda.”

“Okay. Y-you want me to keep an eye on Mercedes, too?”

Mercedes had arrived in a far, far more normal looking carriage compared to Hilda’s, and she’d gracefully stepped from it with all the air and presence of a fine spring maiden. With a lovely smile and soft voice, she’d greeted Edelgard and Hubert with all due respect, and the two had done the same in turn to Faerghus’ envoy.

“It’s always a pleasure to see you two,” Mercedes said. “I hope you’ve both been doing well.”

“And it’s always a pleasure to see you, as well, Mercedes,” Edelgard replied. “We’ve kept busy, but it’s always nice to see old friends.” Though Edelgard had never been particularly close with those in the Blue Lions House back at Garreg Mach, she’d kept friendly relations with most of them (aside from Felix, who seemed to hate everyone equally). 

“Of course, Your Majesty. Dimitri sent with me some bouquets of flowers, as an apology for not coming. I was perhaps wondering if you might want them displayed as decorations, for your ball.”

“That’s an excellent request. I hear Faerghus flowers have quite the beautiful bloom around this time of year. Hubert?” Edelgard gave him a nod, and he too nodded in return.

“I will see to it the flowers are displayed. Thank you for your generosity, Mercedes, and to King Dimitri.”

Mercedes had given a warm smile and a small curtsy in return, before she too had departed to let Edelgard and Hubert greet the rest of the guests.

Back in the present, Edelgard and Hubert glanced at each other. “No,” said Edelgard. “I think she’ll remain in the throne room. I don’t picture Dimitri would have her sneak around.”

“I also doubt Mercedes is one to sneak around on her lonesome. I would consider her one of the more trustworthy guests, here,” Hubert added.

“O-okay! Understood.”

Bernie and Hubert finished getting the rest of Edelgard’s imperial attire on, and once that was finished, Edelgard looked at herself in the mirror. All complete and resplendent in Adrestian red, a billowing white-backed cape hanging from her shoulders, and the royal crown and its curved horns sat upon her head, framing her with a look of fierceness; the instinctive way Edelgard held herself too, with a straight back, head held high made her look all the more an Emperor, a ruler, and a leader.

As she should be.

But a part of her wondered just how she looked to someone who’d seen her vulnerable.

—-

Down in the throne room, Byleth made her way along the perimeter. She was dressed in an ensemble matching Hubert’s; a high-collared jacket with armored pauldrons, belts criss crossing her chest, matching pants and boots, and a flowing cape behind her...Albeit, in white with accents of gold. Edelgard had insisted that Byleth’s ensemble be a parallel to Hubert’s (“I can’t have two people looking like they came from a funeral following me around,” she’d said). Byleth had to admit, though. The three of them in red, white, and black, made for quite the striking theme next to the imperial Adrestian colors.

So far, the guests in the throne room had milled about with polite chatter, the high windows along the walls letting in what some of the fading light from the sunset in the distance and the chandeliers above providing a warm golden glow amongst the stones. Along one side of the throne room a long table had been placed, adorned with plates of food and bowls of drink of all kinds (Byleth had made a concerted effort to not consume everything on the table, though she did certainly have her fair share to the strange looks of many guests). Flowers from Faerghus had been placed at intervals along the table, providing little blooms of decoration. An open space in the middle of the throne room provided an area to dance, when the time came, and the musicians for the night sat in a corner, playing soft tunes to the accompaniment of a grand piano and a string quartet.

Byleth looked forward to when she dance with Edelgard. To see El’s smile again…

As Byleth glanced around the throne room, noting the high arches, tall columns, the cool pale stones, the drapery and carpets all in brilliant Adrestian red, she felt her gaze drawn towards the throne itself, sitting in front of a magnificent display of the Adrestian Empire’s golden sigil; the two-headed eagle with its wings spread, with the titular Crest of Seiros at its peak.

The few times Byleth had been to the throne room and stood at El’s side, she’d noticed that El barely ever smiled here. Knowing just what this throne room meant to its Emperor, Byleth knew that its Emperor loathed it, despite how it’d enabled her to walk the path she was on now.

“After everything is over,” El had said softly to her, one night they’d laid in bed together, just before the royal ball. “I’d like to give the throne to a suitable successor, and...retire somewhere.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know.” El had gripped her pillow, her expression turning pensive, hints of sadness in her gaze. “Somewhere...nice. With flowers, I think. Quiet, and at peace.”

As Byleth was strolling past a window, gazing at the green courtyard just outside, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Turning, she saw Hubert and Ferdinand, both in regal attire fitting their positions as the Emperor’s left and right hands. Hubert said nothing, only giving her a single nod, and then a look over at the throne.

It was time, then. Edelgard was to arrive soon.

Byleth followed the two towards the throne, and she took her place discreetly behind it, while Ferdinand and Hubert took their standard positions at the throne’s sides.

Just then, the shuttering sounds of the throne room doors made the guests and the musicians quiet down, all of them turning towards the entrance.

_ “Presenting! Her Imperial Majesty, of the Adrestian Empire and of her other realms and territories, Defender of the People, Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg!” _ The squire at the door’s voice came loud and clear to the whole throne room, and the doors shuddered open to reveal Edelgard just behind it, head held high.

She stood on her own, her gait and stride full of regality and poise as she walked down the center of the room; guests on either side gave respectful bows and curtsies as she went past. Byleth could just make out, with her perceptive gaze, the subtle change in the air of the room. It was almost...cooler, sharper. Everyone here knew this was a figure of power before them, and Byleth could see some of the guests eyeing the new crown on top of Edelgard’s head. No doubt some could sense the change on the horizon…

On cue with Ferdinand and Hubert, Byleth made a low bow as Edelgard came to stand in front of the throne. She turned to address her audience, her voice as commanding and forceful as ever.

“Esteemed guests and honored visitors. I am pleased that you all have merited the time to celebrate the anniversary of my ascension to the throne. I thank you all for your time and effort in coming to Enbarr, the home and heart of the Adrestian Empire…”

As Edelgard gave her introductory speech for the party, Byleth kept her rapt gaze on the audience; she’d been keeping tabs on those Hubert had wanted her to keep watch on, and Byleth noted the few in the audience whose expressions weren’t quite that of courteous respect…

Lord Arundel. Byleth knew on sight that this man was not one to be trusted; he had a cold, calculating gaze, brows always furrowed in such a way that made Byleth think the man was constantly scheming, planning. What he was up to, Byleth did not know, but Hubert had informed her that he was the least likely to do anything _ unceremonious _ at Edelgard’s ball. He stood just at the corner of the room, dipped in a shadow by a column, drinking a goblet of wine; but the way his gaze was set on Edelgard made Byleth clench a fist. 

She looked away to another person of interest.

Hilda Valentine Gonereil. Again, Hubert did not see her so much as a _ threat _ so much as someone who might get wild at Edelgard’s party. Byleth’s impression of her was that she was sweet on the surface, sly underneath, but not in a cold way like Arundel. Rather, Hilda struck Byleth as someone who seemed just... _ fun, _but smart in such a way that she could charm a whole room to her whims. As of now she stood by the food table with Marianne, whispering excitedly to her wife as she gestured this way and that, the glass of wine in her hand dangerously close to slipping over the rim.

Byleth glanced away to another person nearby.

Lastly, Catherine of the Knights of Seiros. Though all weapons had been removed from guests before entering the castle, something about the way Catherine held herself made Byleth acutely aware that this woman was not one to be trifled with. The way she stood, tall and proud, arms crossed over her white-steel armor, her biceps pronounced and flexing as she kept her attention on Edelgard made Catherine give off the aura of someone who’d seen her fair share of true battle, just like Byleth. Throughout the evening though, Catherine had been polite and even sometimes humorous with other guests. It made her look less intimidating, for certain, but even so. Byleth wasn’t one to misjudge her opponents. If Rhea had sent Catherine here for anything other than to be an envoy…

Edelgard finished her speech, raising a goblet of wine to the sound of polite applause throughout the throne room, and from then on, the party got started — the musicians kicked up a peppy beat, and guests began to mingle and roam with just a little more freedom at their fingertips.

“Finally,” Edelgard sighed; her shoulders relaxed just slightly. “I suppose it’s time to be a good party host. Ferdinand, begin greeting other heads of state and other politicians. Hubert, if you could, check the perimeters and check in with security. Byleth, with me. We’ll be greeting other guests.”

Ferdinand and Hubert offered nods in acknowledgement, departing the Emperor’s side to perform their duties. As Byleth and Edelgard walked down the steps from the throne and to the floor, Byleth had a question.

“I thought Hubert would be joining us.”

“Hubert’s presence sometimes terrifies normal dignitaries,” said Edelgard. “You, on the other hand, I believe provide a more...friendly, presence. And besides,” Edelgard cast a look behind her, a small smile on her face. “I think it’s time people start to know of my personal bodyguard.”

That was Byleth’s official title; she’d even gotten an bold little eagle medallion pinned on her chest to signify her new role. When she’d gotten it, she’d felt a little surge of pride.

Their first guest to greet was with Linhardt and Caspar standing off to the side of the room by the windows; next to them was a tall man in gray robes and glasses.

“Now, I believe with this new theory that Crests could be—ah! Your Majesty!” The man in gray robes turned with a warm smile, and Edelgard returned it in kind. “How good it is to see you again.”

“And I to you, Professor Hanneman.”

“Professor,” Hanneman chuckled. “You’re not in school anymore, you know. There’s no need to address me so formally.”

“And yet I still learned a good deal from you then, and I still learn new things from you now,” Edelgard said, polite as ever.

“Speaking of learning, may I perhaps get to know your new companion here?” Hanneman cast Byleth a curious look, and she responded in kind with a respectful bow of her head.

“Byleth, this is Professor Hanneman, Fodlan’s foremost expert on Crestology. Professor, Byleth is my personal guard,” Edelgard replied.

“Ah, you flatter me once more,” Hanneman chuckled. “A pleasure to meet you, Byleth, but I would say I know a good _ deal _ about Crests, yes, but perhaps not as much as young Linhardt here nowadays.”

Linhardt, next to him, gave a little yawn, covering his mouth with his hand. “We were just talking about some new Crest theories he had in mind.”

“They’ve been talking about Crests ever since Hanneman arrived,” said a tired Caspar at Linhardt’s side. “Man, Edelgard, when you said we could all invite an extra person to the ball, I didn’t think Linhardt was gonna take our plus one and make it one of our old professors.”

Hanneman bristled. “Sir Caspar, you should understand the merits of furthering your education! I believe it absolutely imperative that a young, fine man such as yourself engage in academic delights, especially considering your...ah, track record, back at Garreg Mach.”

“Really! We are _ not _ gonna talk about grades here,” Caspar said, exasperated. “This is a _ party.” _

“So it is,” added Edelgard, amused. “Well, I must ask Professor Hanneman, how goes your studies at Garreg Mach?”

“Excellent,” he said, but a shadow crossed his face. “To a point, though.”

“Is something wrong?” Linhardt asked, brow furrowed. “What happened?”

“Nothing to worry yourself about,” Hanneman said, but Byleth heard a brief note of weariness in his voice too. “Lady Rhea has put more responsibilities upon us faculty. She’s pulled back from some everyday duties.”

“I see. Well, I wish you and her luck in the coming future,” Edelgard said smoothly, though Byleth could tell the cogs were turning in Edelgard’s brain. “Thank you for taking the time to come to my ball. May I ask though, did you come with Catherine?”

“Ah, no, I’m not here as an official Knight,” Hanneman chuckled. “And neither is Manuela. We’re just here as old professors, greeting old students.”

“I understand. Please enjoy yourself here, and if need be, Linhardt, you have my permission to escort Hanneman to your lab if you so wish to discuss more things related to Crests.”

Linhardt gave a small bow of acknowledgement. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

Byleth followed Edelgard around the room, meeting more people and heads of state; all around them little chatter, clinks of glasses, bursts of laughter, and the sound of music came as background noise to their conversations. It made the throne room just...a little more human, less cold.

The two ended up meeting with Dorothea and Petra by a column, and with them was a tall woman in an extremely flattering, low cut dress that revealed a good amount of the woman’s cleavage.

“Oh, Edelgard! There you are,” the woman said as she and Byleth came near. “How good it is to see you again.” She reached her hands out, grasping both of Edelgard’s in her own. “You look simply _ amazing, _I must add. Love the new crown, by the way. Really fits you well, I think.”

“Thank you, Manuela.”

“And? Who might your hot date be?” Manuela looked up at Byleth, giving her a once-over with raised eyebrows and a sly smile. “And is she single?”

“My name is Byleth, Lady Manuela,” Byleth said softly with a small bow. “It is an honor to meet you.”

A flushed Edelgard hastily added, “She’s my personal bodyguard. She won’t be leaving my side anytime soon.”

“Oh, what a disappointment.”

Next to Manuela, Dorothea burst out laughing. “It’s alright, you’ll find someone soon, I’m sure. If you swing by the opera house later, we can meet some of the newer performers there.”

“Yes! They are all very pretty and nice,” Petra added with a vigorous nod. “Don’t give up, Professor Manuela!”

“Oh, you two,” Manuela chuckled. “Your youthful hope energizes me so.”

“How goes your work at Garreg Mach?” Edelgard asked politely. Byleth could hear the subtle note to her voice though; Edelgard wanted to know more about Rhea.

Manuela let out a pained groan, slouching a little. “I swear, I’ve had more to do this year than the entirety of all my years there combined. Rhea’s just running us all ragged!”

Like always, Dorothea caught the cue from Edelgard. “Oh, really? Rhea always seemed so nice when we were there.”

“Back then, yes!” Manuela took a sizable gulp of wine from the glass in her hand. Lowering her voice, Manuela leaned in a little, and Edelgard, Byleth, Dorothea and Petra did the same. “Honestly, the archbishop seems to be losing some of her common sense. I’m considering doing a psych evaluation to make sure she’s doing alright.”

“What’s wrong with Archbishop Rhea?” Petra asked, brow furrowed.

“Honestly? I don’t know. Old age? Tiredness?” Manuela sighed, moodily swirling the contents of the glass in her age. “I never asked her how old she is, she looks _ amazing, _ but she _ has _ been archbishop for a while. Maybe it’s just wear and tear.”

Standing behind Edelgard, Byleth noticed how Edelgard’s shoulders stiffened with the news. Perhaps this explained Rhea’s request to have Edelgard assassinated; perhaps this explained the effect of Solon’s leak of information.

Edelgard straightened up, putting on another polite and gracious smile. “I must attend to other guests in the meanwhile, but I certainly hope you get some rest soon, Manuela.”

“Oh, this party’s honestly a relief to have. Infinite alcohol? Dorothea and Petra to show me around? This is the best gig outside of the monastery I’ve had for a while.” Manuela laughed, gulping down another sizable drink of wine. “Have fun, Edelgard, and you too, Byleth.”

Edelgard and Byleth mingled among some other guests, like some other nobles and heads of state — they temporarily met up with Ferdinand who was boisterously entertaining some guests with wild tales of his excursions and hunts and slayings of massive beasts (Edelgard rolled her eyes) before briefly speaking with Hubert for a quick check on security.

“Everything going fine?” Edelgard asked, the three of them huddled in a corner of the room.

“Nothing suspicious so far. Berndatta’s spotted nothing strange from her vantage point.”

“Good. Keep making patrols.”

They broke apart, and Edelgard chose to move towards Faerghus’ representative; Mercedes, who was hovering by the food tables, idly observing the flowers placed upon them with a glass of wine held cupped in her hands.

“Oh, hello again, Your Majesty,” Mercedes offered a gentle smile as Edelgard stood at her side. “And may I get to know who your new friend is?”

“Byleth. This is my personal guard.”

“Oh,” Mercedes looked slightly disappointed. “I thought you’d taken on a consort, Your Majesty.”

“N-no! N-not at all,” Edelgard hastily sputtered, and Byleth cast her a curious glance. Consort? Hubert had never explained what that role was to Byleth; perhaps she’d look up what that is later.

“I see,” Mercedes said with a small smile; but Byleth noticed how her gaze flickered away, then back…

“Are you looking for someone?” Byleth asked, and Edelgard cast her a quick look. “You look concerned.”

Mercedes looked surprised for a moment, blinking. She opened her mouth, then let out a demure sigh as she set back on the table her glass of wine. “I...was expecting to find someone I know here, yes. A tall man, with blonde hair. Perhaps you’ve seen him?”

“No, we haven’t,” Edelgard said, slightly apologetic. “If you’d like, Mercedes, you’re welcome to discuss with Hubert the invitee list and see if the person you’re looking for arrived here safely on palace grounds.”

“Oh, no, no, that’s quite alright. I wouldn’t want to bother him.” Mercedes put on another whimsical smile, but Byleth sensed the sadness in her gaze, her voice. “It was just a small wish of mine, is all. Nothing supremely urgent. But how are you, Edelgard? Throwing a party must take quite a lot of energy.”

Edelgard chuckled. “Oh, it is tiring, but enjoyable all the same to meet familiar faces. I’m simply humbled that everyone was able to make it here safely. How are things in Faerghus?”

The two of them discussed small, minor affairs with Faerghus; Sylvain was apparently assisting Dimitri and Dedue in repairing relations with the people of Sreng, leaving behind Felix and Ingrid to watch over the royal court in their absence.

“If you have any news to deliver to Dimitri and Felix and Ingrid, I’d be glad to deliver it,” Mercedes offered. “It might take time for Dimitri to hear it, though.”

“I understand. Even so, it’s good to hear everyone’s doing well,” Edelgard remarked. “I must be going now, Mercedes, but it was a pleasure to meet with you.”

“And you, Your Majesty.”

Edelgard looked deep in thought as she and Byleth wandered away from Mercedes, and Byleth quietly asked in Edelgard’s ear, “Is something troubling you, Edelgard?”

Glancing around them to make sure no one could overhear, Edelgard turned and said just as quietly back, “The news of Rhea is...troubling, a little. Her newfound mental state seems to be the reason why she chose to...do what she did.”

Byleth nodded.

“And Dimitri being up in Sreng worries me. Relations between Fodlan and Sreng have never been positive. I can only hope he’s doing alright.”

Byleth could only give another nod, for Edelgard gestured for Byleth to follow her once more; they had a few more guests to greet.

They met with Catherine, who was standing in a corner talking to some nobles, gesturing this way and that with one hand. From a distance, she seemed like she was having a good enough time; genuine smiles, nods, some laughs here and there. Despite Byleth knowing Catherine was a powerhouse of strength with or without Thunderbrand, she couldn’t help but feel like Catherine had no ill intent…

“Lady Catherine,” Edelgard said as she came close, and the nobles nearby offered some space to let them have their talk. “It’s an honor to meet you once more.”

“And you, Your Majesty.” Catherine gave a respectful bow befitting their ranks. “It’s kinda always nice to see old students, you know?”

“I do agree.”

“But I’m guessing this new person is...your consort?” Catherine asked with an inquisitive look at Byleth.

“No, she’s not my consort,” Edelgard cut in hastily. “This is Byleth, my bodyguard.”

“Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Catherine, Knight of Seiros.”

“Hello,” Byleth said in kind. This close, Catherine radiated an aura of pure strength. A part of Byleth kind of wondered what it’d be like to cross swords with her and Thunderbrand in combat.

Edelgard said, “Catherine was also one of the superb combat instructors at Garreg Mach, when I was attending the academy. I recall you were quite a formidable combat teacher.”

Catherine laughed, loud and warm. “Still am, can you believe it! Haven’t lost my edge at all.”

“I don’t doubt that. You look as amazing as ever.”

“Aw. thanks, Your Majesty. Still,” Catherine gave a wide shrug, throwing her shoulders back. “I’m not really a party kind of person. It’s nice and all, just, you know.” She mimed holding a sword in her two hands. “I’m more used to those kinds of missions.”

“I understand what you mean.”

“I might go out to the royal gardens while I’m here,” Catherine sighed, placing a hand on her hip. “All this,” she gave a wave of her hand at the hall, “Kind of brings me back to an earlier life of mine. It’s a little tiring.”

“I understand all too well,” Edelgard muttered. A little more loudly, she said, “The gardens are truly a marvel both in daytime and nighttime, so I hope if you do visit it, you enjoy the peace and beauty found there, Lady Catherine.”

“Oh, yeah, for sure, for sure. You too, Your Majesty.” Catherine flashed what looked like a real smile.

And it was Hilda and Marianne they met with next, the two of them standing by a window, Hilda laughing loudly, the cup of wine in her hand dangerously coming close to slipping out of her fingers as Marianne hastily (but with a small smile of her own) put Hilda’s hand back in position.

“Y-Your Majesty,” Marianne said politely as Edelgard and Byleth came near. She gave a curtsy, in contrast to Hilda who simply gave Edelgard a wide-eyed onceover.

“Love the new outfit, Edelgard. The horns too. Is that a new fashion trend in Enbarr?” Hilda asked, head tilted in curiosity.

“You could say it is,” Edelgard said, raising a hand to gently touch one of the curved horns around her head. “It’s high time the Adrestian royal family had a new crown, I think.”

“I think so too. The old one’s kind of boring, to be honest.”

“Well, I hope this party isn’t boring to you, Hilda,” Edelgard said. “I recall your parties at Garreg Mach were far more...ah, rowdy.”

Hilda burst out laughing. “I mean, yeah, your little ball’s _ kind _ of lame, but not _ bad. _ You should give yourself some credit, Edelgard.”

“Glad to know my party isn’t a total dump,” Edelgard said dryly, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t think it’s a dump,” Byleth said, quiet. This was her first royal party ever. How could unlimited food and drink in a big castle be a dump? And El was here.

“Hubie depressing the mood of any room just by standing there kind of makes any place a dump, so I have to say your new friend next to you’s definitely not a mood killer,” Hilda said, looking over Byleth. “You’re kind of not bad looking, either.”

A flushed Edelgard hastily said, “This is Byleth, my guard.”

“You haven’t found a partner yet?” Hilda asked innocently. “No romance for the Emperor?”

Marianne cast a curious look at Edelgard too. “Oh...there’s just been a rumor going around that you’d found someone, Your Majesty.”

When Byleth glanced at Edelgard, her cheeks were almost as vibrantly red as her armor. “N-no, that’s a completely unfounded rumor. I don’t understand why everyone seems to assume that. I would appreciate it if Claude would stop spreading completely untrue information about myself.”

Hilda laughed again. “Aw, you’re still just as cute as you were back at Garreg Mach, Edelgard.”

_ “Anyway, _ how have you both been doing? Claude too?” Edelgard said forcibly through gritted teeth.

“We’ve been doing fine, Your Majesty,” Marianne said. “Hilda has begun starting up her own artisan academy in the Alliance.”

“Oh, it’s _ gorgeous, _ hope that you can come visit. Because, honestly, I was kind of wondering your thoughts of me starting up an artisan academy here in Adrestia,” Hilda said with an award-winning smile. “I think it’d be cute, right? Enbarr fashion could really update some looks.” She gave Edelgard a sly little wink.

Edelgard pressed a hand to her temple, letting out a sigh. “Hilda, as you said, we’re at a party. I’d really enjoy not having to think about political pursuits while I’m trying to entertain guests.”

“Party pooper,” Hilda pouted, and Marianne gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Fine, Claude’s doing fine, by the way. He told me to say he’s sorry he couldn’t come, but he’d love to see you soon.”

“That’s quite alright. And sure, if there’s time for him to discuss certain things, I’d love to set up an appointment.”

Marianne looked like she was about to open her mouth to say something, but then Byleth saw her face go pale, her eyes _ wide _ with a hint of fear, her gaze darting to someone standing just behind Byleth’s shoulder — and Byleth turned and felt a vicious shiver shoot down her spine when she saw _ Lord Arundel _ standing _ right _ behind her.

_ Arundel. _ Shrouded in white and bloodred silks, hints of gold along the hems of his fine, royal outfit; despite the warm colors of the Adrestian royal family, he radiated an aura of iciness that could make any grown man cower and shiver before him. Byleth could’ve sworn she felt a fist clench her ribcage at that moment, and she had to fight back the urge to draw her sword.

“Excuse me,” he said, his voice as smooth as silk, as cold as ice. “If I may have some of Her Majesty’s time?”

Marianne had taken a step behind Hilda, despite Hilda being shorter than her, and Hilda’s demeanor changed almost immediately; Byleth sensed it in her straightened back, tightened grip on the stem of her glass, the flex of her forearm as she met Arundel’s chill gaze with her own.

But her answer was a far cry from her stance. “Oh, of course! Sorry for taking up your time, Edelgard,” Hilda said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “We’ll be going.” Hilda grabbed hold of Marianne’s arm and led them away, leaving Byleth and Edelgard alone with Arundel.

“I understand your position is to guard my niece,” Arundel said, turning to Byleth, and Byleth had to fight the urge to place her hand on the hilt of her sword at her hip; something about Arundel triggered her fight or flight response, and she felt the need to fight. “But I would like to say, the dance floor is opening up soon. Might I have a dance with the Emperor?”

“I can very well make decisions for myself, Uncle,” Edelgard said coolly next to Byleth. “I accept your dance offer. Byleth, stand by.”

Though Byleth so badly wanted to say something to interject, the subtle shake of Edelgard’s head told her her orders.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Byleth said quietly, and she stepped off to the side. Even so, she kept her sharp gaze on Arundel’s back as he walked away with Edelgard at his side.

She’d have her chance with Edelgard later, anyway. Byleth moved towards Dorothea and Petra...

—-

For Edelgard, she had to resist tasting the bitter bile on her tongue as she placed her hand on Arundel’s arm, and the two of them strode through the crowd towards the dance floor; naturally, the people parted for them, but Edelgard didn’t miss some of the brief looks of fear as Arundel strode past. Edelgard needed to eject her uncle from this party as soon as possible, or at least she needed to put distance between herself and Arundel as soon as she could.

In the corner, the musicians noticed Arundel’s sharp stare and they immediately switched to slower, ballroom waltz music; despite the gentle notes, Edelgard felt anything but in her stiffened spine.

“So. Your plans are going well, I assume?” Arundel asked as he stood at position, and Edelgard, even through her gauntlet, could feel the coldness of his hand in hers.

Stiffly placing her hand on her uncle’s shoulder, Edelgard said, “Yes. They’re going as scheduled, Uncle.”

“Good, Edelgard. I wouldn’t want you to forget all that we’ve worked for.”

_ We. _ A flame ignited in Edelgard’s chest once more, where her heart beat.

As the two of them started off in a simple waltz, with Arundel leading with one hand settled firmly at Edelgard’s back, Edelgard almost felt as if their dance was a battle of tongues and wits.

“I haven’t forgotten the goals of the Empire, Uncle. Rest assured I will do what is necessary for the people of Fodlan.” A little bit of heat came to her words; she wasn’t willing to give ground. Mutual partners and family they were, but she wasn’t intent on making him a friend.

Maybe he heard the subtle threat in her voice, for he offered her a cool smile as they made a swift turn. “How good it is to see the Emperor of Adrestia so determined to pursue a better future for her country. I simply hope you won’t forget the people who will help you shape the world you’ll see soon. Surely they’ll desire a place in it, no? Fodlan is everyone’s home.”

Edelgard heard the undertones well enough. Their shadowed allies would want for more once the war was over. Whether Edelgard would give it to them was...not up for debate, in Edelgard’s opinion. Ancient civilization be damned. Edelgard would dismantle them piece by piece with her own hands if she had to.

So, instead, she lied as the two of them spun in smooth circles. “I would never forget the strength and knowledge they are sure to provide. I simply hope they provide that knowledge to the right people, since they seem to have loose lips.”

Did Arundel know? Did he know that Solon had willingly given Rhea information?

If Arundel’s gaze could’ve gone any icier, it might have, and a sharp furrow in his brow appeared for just the briefest second before it disappeared and his expression relaxed into calm. Edelgard even thought Arundel might miss a step until he said in a low voice, “Edelgard, the future you promised to the _ people _ has some of your subjects wondering when you might actually engage in meaningful action to enact said future. I’ve spoken to a few, yes, and some understand your careful tact, but others…” Arundel’s hand clenched a little tighter around Edelgard’s, and she ferociously fought the urge to wince. “...Others, I have had a harder time convincing.”

So Solon gone rouge, maybe. Still not a good explanation, but from the icy fury radiating from Arundel’s furrowed gaze, Edelgard had to take him at his word.

The two of them paused for just a split second, Edelgard gracefully leaning back and Arundel supporting her until he pulled her back in and they engaged in footsteps once more tapping across the floor.

Just as they slowed at a beat in the dance, Edelgard looked up in time to see Hubert hovering at Arundel’s shoulder. His golden gaze could’ve cut a man at that moment, and his hand came firm down upon Arundle’s arm.

“Lord Arundel, a pleasure to meet you once more,” Hubert said in his low voice, but there was an edge of poison to his tone, bitter and scathing. “I’d like to intervene and ask the Emperor for a dance.”

Knowing eyes were upon them, Arundel graciously put on a smile, one that would have wilted flowers. “Certainly, Lord Vestra. Thank you, niece, for your time.”

Edelgard felt relief when she finally separated herself from Arundel, and the two performed the standard bow at the end of the dance; polite applause from the audience bought herself a brief reprieve as Edelgard got back into position with Hubert and she watched Arundel depart the stage floor, the crowd parting in his wake. In the meanwhile, other pairs had come up to the floor to dance as well, and they joined Edelgard and Hubert.

“Apologies I didn’t come sooner,” Hubert murmured as he placed his hand in Edelgard’s, the other at her back. “I was providing Bernadetta some company on the ramparts.”

The music started up once more, and Emperor and spymaster started their waltz.

“Is she doing alright?” Edelgard asked. There was no need to thank Hubert for intervening; she knew why he did so.

“She is. I plan on visiting her again later, to ensure she’s been fed properly,” Hubert replied. “No suspicious things as of yet.”

“Good.”

“I will ensure Arundel does not ruin the rest of your evening. This is your ball, after all.”

“That would be appreciated.”

The corner of Hubert’s lips curled into a crooked smile. “From now on, Your Majesty, the Eagles plan on ensuring your evening is enjoyable.”

“Oh?” Edelgard raised her eyebrows, but the look on Hubert’s face made her glance around as they were twirling around the dance floor; Ferdinand hovered at the edge, a grin on his own face as he awaited his turn to dance with the Emperor. “Oh. I see. You’re going to make me dance the night away, aren’t you?”

“Is that truly so bad?” Hubert chuckled. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Edelgard.”

The two of them finished up one waltz only for Edelgard to have Ferdinand graciously come forward, with Hubert delicately stepping back once more. From the grin on Ferdinand’s face, Edelgard couldn’t help but roll her eyes as the musicians kicked up an upbeat song reminiscent of fast paced jazz.

Even though Edelgard would never admit it aloud to Ferdinand’s face, she did appreciate these few moments of fun. The quick step and cha cha dance styles weren’t quite her forte, but it was certainly Ferdinand’s, and the joy on his laughing face as the two of them skipped their way across the ballroom floor lifted Edelgard’s spirits a little — Hubert had been right to intervene when he had. Any longer with Arundel and Edelgard was sure she would’ve felt far too negative to host her party.

“Ah, I see that in dance, I excel at it better than you,” Ferdinand said, a tear of mirth in his eye as he held fast to Edelgard’s hand, the other at her back as they rapidly twisted and turned across the floor (to the hushed applause of their audience).

“Fine, I concede this one matter,” replied Edelgard, but with a smile of her own.

After Ferdinand came Caspar, the two of them performing the more simple foxtrot, sashaying this way and that — Caspar wasn’t the most coordinated kind of dancer, but he had a raw kind of energy that kept the movement going, and for that, Edelgard appreciated him too.

Then it was Dorothea at her side, with Edelgard leading a more sophisticated version of the waltz. 

“Oh? Not bad, Emperor,” Dorothea giggled as they fluidly moved around. “I’m surprised you can keep up.”

“I might be a tad insulted, Dorothea,” Edelgard said with humor. “I may not be a professional like yourself, but I like to think that my dance moves have improved since our academy days.”

Dorothea laughed as Edelgard spun her around. “True, I’ll admit that much. I hope you’re not tired of dancing. You’ve been through quite a few numbers.”

“I can probably do one more.”

“Oh?” The grin on Dorothea’s face made Edelgard raise an eyebrow. 

“You’re planning something, aren’t you, Dorothea.”

“Nothing terrible,” she said innocently. “I just think it’s time for me to sing a song.”

All Edelgard could do was chuckle, shaking her head. She couldn’t stop her Eagles even if she wanted to; and Edelgard definitely wanted to see just what her Eagles had up their sleeves.

As the waltz ended and Edelgard once more heard the sound of applause from the audience, Dorothea took a step back, giving Edelgard a little wink before she turned and made her way over to the musician’s corner. Edelgard spotted Petra already sitting at the piano, eagerly looking up at her with a look of excitement.

Then a beat later, as Dorothea took her place at the head of musicians, facing outward and standing at position, did the chandeliers high above them gently dimmed to a warm and tender glow. From the corner of her eye, Edelgard spotted Linhardt with a hand raised, murmurs on his lips as he used his magic to set the lighting. 

To the hushed, awed whispers of the ballroom, Edelgard could only stand there in the center of the dance floor in a small state of disbelief—

For she then felt a gentle hand tap her on the shoulder, and Edelgard felt her heart do a little skip when she saw Byleth standing there with a small smile — but it was by far the most tenderest and sweetest smile Edelgard had ever seen on her.

“May I have this dance, Your Majesty?” Byleth asked softly, hand held out.

Caught speechless for a moment, Edelgard couldn’t help the smile on her face as she gently placed her hand in Byleth’s.

“I didn’t know you could dance, Byleth,” Edelgard said as they stood close together, and Edelgard’s heart did another skip when she felt Byleth’s hand press firmly at the small of her back.

“I learned how to. For you.”

Edelgard’s cheeks burned, and she couldn’t quite meet Byleth’s tender expression with her own. She was saved from replying when Dorothea began to sing, her lovely voice filling the length of the whole room, and Petra started to gently play a soft and slow tune on the piano with a quiet accompaniment of strings.

And that was when Edelgard’s breath was truly taken away. The first step Byleth took with her as they began their own dance, with her gaze on Byleth’s — this wasn’t quite the flawless fluidity of movement as Dorothea’s, but it wasn’t the rough and tumble style of Caspar’s. Byleth danced like a fencer, all precise and sharp, movements swift and decisive. 

It took Edelgard by surprise, and she felt her heart trip over itself, almost like her own feet as Byleth guided them both around the floor.

“Are you alright, Edelgard?” Byleth asked softly, and Edelgard had to blink a few times to pull herself out of her reverie. Had she been staring at Byleth’s face that intently the whole time?

“Y-yes. I apologize, I’m not quite used to, uh, your way of dancing.” Her hand tightened around Byleth’s.

“Oh.” A furrow appeared in Byleth’s brow. “Is it not to your liking?” She started to slow—

“No, not at all. I find it refreshing.” Edelgard pushed herself forward, unwilling to let Byleth slow the tempo, and for a split second the two were tightly chest-to-chest, faces just inches from the other’s.

And so it was now that Byleth smiled at her, eyes crinkling just a little at the corners as she kept the swift pace. “That’s good to hear. I hope you’ve been having a good time at your ball.”

“I have. It’s even better now that I’m with you,” Edelgard said, feeling the blush on her cheeks.

“Then I hope to stay at your side for the rest of the night.”

Edelgard still had no idea who’d taught Byleth to be smooth, or if this really was just Byleth’s well and true pure honesty just shining through; either way, she found herself enjoying it a great deal. If this was what fanciful royal parties were like with Byleth around, maybe she’d have a few more, just so she could dance the night away with the person she trusted most with herself.

The dimmed lighting, soft and gold, cast a warm glow on the two of them as they waltzed around the floor, with Byleth elegantly holding her arm out as Edelgard did a smooth turn away, then smoothly catching her back as Edelgard came back in. Footsteps crisscrossed close to the other’s, soft brushes of the tips of their shoes as they stepped backward and forward, side to side. Edelgard’s hand rested warmly against Byleth’s, and there was a tenderness in Byleth’s touch at the small of Edelgard’s back that made Edelgard feel like maybe just for a moment...she could let herself go, and she would know without a doubt that Byleth would catch her.

She’d always thought it’d been an exaggeration of emotion when people said they’d fallen for someone, but the sensation she now felt as Byleth dipped her back low felt almost reminiscent of that feeling of falling, her breath slipping from her lungs — but Byleth brought her back up once more, and as Edelgard looked up into Byleth’s azure gaze, she saw more than just the little crinkles of happiness at the corners of her eyes. There was softness there, a kind of tender emotion she’d never seen, only ever read about, never believing it’d ever be meant for her...

And so when Dorothea sang a last, long, full note to the song, Edelgard felt a slight dip of disappointment in her chest as she and Byleth came to a slow stop at the center of the floor. If only she could spend just...a little more time with her...With the one person who brought her peace and who maybe...

Byleth still had that soft, tender smile, even as she relaxed her stance. To Edelgard’s surprise, Byleth held fast onto her hand — and then came the applause from the audience, with Edelgard having to remember to breathe.

“Thank you,” Edelgard said, a little breathless as she gave grateful nods to the audience. “I must sadly say that will be my last dance for tonight, but I thank all my partners for their time.”

Byleth guided Edelgard off the floor, where the audience parted to let them through. Leaning down a little, Byleth then whispered in Edelgard’s ear, “Would you like a break in the gardens with me? It’s quiet, and peaceful.”

Maybe wishes did come true. The thought of going somewhere alone with Byleth made Edelgard even more flushed from before, but she found herself saying in return, “I would love that.”

—-

With Edelgard on her arm, Byleth gave a quick look behind her at Dorothea and Petra at the musician’s corner, giving her thumbs up and vigorous nods of approval. She’d done well — Byleth’s chest swelled with a little pride. She’d danced with Edelgard, and she’d seen Edelgard smile. Nothing could be better.

Still, she was on duty. As she and Edelgard headed towards the doors at the side of the hall that led out to the gardens, another glance around showed her that Hubert had done as he’d said. Arundel was nowhere to be seen. Their other guests from Faerghus and Leicester were thankfully still in the hall, as was Catherine speaking with Manuela off to the side. So far, so good. Edelgard’s safety was still secure.

They exited the glowing gold lights of the hall and entered the slanted silver moonlight just outside, their footsteps quiet against the stone paths winding their way through the shrubs and hedges and blooms of evening flowers, petals blossoming in the night as little bursts of color. The sounds of the party faded from within the castle as the pair made their way through, admiring the little specks of fireflies floating about here and there, and all there was around them was the little steady sound of water flowing through the little streams winding around into moonlit ponds, topped with lily pads and tall green grasses.

Byleth noticed Edelgard leaning her head against Byleth’s shoulder, a smile of contentment on her face. “I’m glad you seem happy, El,” said Byleth.

Edelgard chuckled. “I’m a bit tired, but even so, yes. I find myself feeling at peace when I’m with you. Happy, too, in a certain way.”

“I feel the same. I’ve…” Byleth paused, and the two of them came to a stop at the tip of a small arched bridge going over a stream. “Never felt this way before. Even without a heartbeat, I feel as if there’s...something here.” She placed her free hand over her chest, where a kind of...warmth had bloomed. “It...feels nice.”

Tugging them forward, Edelgard’s hand on Byleth’s arm tightened a little as she gave a breathless laugh. “That’s, ah. An emotion I believe that I’m learning to come to terms with as well. It seems like there’s still something new for us both to learn.”

“Oh? You feel it too?” Byleth asked.

“...I think I have for a while, actually.” Edelgard’s cheeks were red again. With a hint of embarrassment, she added, “I only really...feel it when you’re around.”

“Does it feel like when I touched your heart at the hot springs?”

Edelgard bit down hard on her lip. “A little like that, yes.”

Processing that information, Byleth took a moment to think. If she had a heartbeat, would it be beating fast right now too? “I recall you said it was nervousness, last time. I hope I’m not making you nervous now.”

“No, not at all. It’s...a different kind of emotion. Have you ever had the feeling of butterflies in your stomach, Byleth?”

“No, but I think I ate one on accident once.”

Byleth couldn’t help the smile on her face when Edelgard laughed; a well and true laugh, and Edelgard covered her hand with her mouth. “For some reason, I am not surprised at all that you have.”

“It didn’t taste great. I wouldn’t recommend eating one.”

The two of them strolled through the gardens a little more, passing marble statues in graceful poses with small lanterns casting off a warm glow amongst the silver moonlight. Around them, tall hedges provided privacy from other partygoers that’d decided to have a break, and soon the two of them were on their true lonesome, accompanied only by the twinkling stars above and the little flickers of fireflies below.

Edelgard continued, “I suppose what I mean to describe is...the emotion I’m feeling. It’s not nervousness, but my heart still feels…” She pressed a hand over her own chest, looking pensive, before she cast a tentative glance at Byleth. In the light of the lanterns, her violet gaze took on a golden hue at the edges of her irises, and Byleth found herself holding her breath as Edelgard asked softly, “Would you like to feel it again?”

The two of them came to a stop close to a small gazebo resting at the center of the gardens, white wood silhouetted in the silver light, but lit up within by a small lantern at its ceiling. Surrounded by a ring of flowers and smaller little streams trickling by, the gazebo was a welcome reprieve from the rest of the world; it was a spot that the two could call their own, just for the night. 

Byleth gently helped Edelgard up its small set of steps as she said, “If you’re comfortable with me doing so, I would like to feel your heartbeat again, El.”

“I’m always grateful for your forthrightness, Byleth,” Edelgard said softly as she held fast onto Byleth’s hand in her own, lifting it up towards the center of her chest. “It brings me comfort.”

As Byleth’s handed rested against Edelgard’s chest, right over her heart, Byleth felt the rapid pulse underneath her palm; it wasn’t as fast paced as it had been before, but there was a different kind of rhythm and tempo to it that Byleth was both familiar and unfamiliar with; it reminded her of the pace of their waltz, a bit new and uncertain for that had been their first dance together, but also comforting and secure in that they’d shared many other moments in time together. When Byleth glanced up at Edelgard’s expression, she saw a kind of...hesitance, even almost apprehension, in Edelgard’s gaze, but a little closer...maybe even...hope?

“What are you feeling now, if I may ask?” Byleth asked softly, leaning in a little. Her bangs fell forward just a little, enough to brush against the diadem of Edelgard’s crown; their faces were tilted towards the other’s, just the barest hint of space between them both. “I would like to know.”

Edelgard exhaled, and Byleth tasted the hints of wine on her warm breath. “I...I’m feeling a little nervous, but I’m not afraid,” she breathed. “I feel braver, when I’m with you.”

Byleth sensed Edelgard had more to say, so she kept her silence, only holding Edelgard’s gaze with her own.

“You always make me feel this way,” Edelgard whispered. Her hand tightened over Byleth’s palm, where it still rested solid and warm against Edelgard’s chest.

“What way?”

“Like my heart’s learned to beat again.” The way she said those words; Byleth had never heard Edelgard sound this way before. Like someone learning to break down walls built over years, like someone trying to reach out further. “I,” and then Edelgard hesitated for a beat, blinking before swallowing and saying, “I...I want to ask for more.”

“What more would you like?” Byleth asked just as quiet. A part of her wanted to lean forward, just a little more. But only if Edelgard wished it.

That way Edelgard pursed her lips, then the way they parted as she looked up at Byleth’s face. Somewhere, Edelgard must’ve found something, for she took another step forward, closer, their foreheads almost brushing and to Byleth’s surprise, she felt Edelgard’s hand resting against her own chest, over where her own heart would be. Though Byleth could feel nothing beating underneath Edelgard’s palm, there came forth another bloom of warmth there, of something that took Byleth’s breath away.

In that moment, Byleth knew, Edelgard was the only person who could ever make her feel that way.

And now she understood just what that tempo was underneath her own palm, what Edelgard’s heartbeat was telling her.

“I want more of you,” Edelgard whispered, her lips just barely a hairsbreadth away from Byleth’s. “I want you, Byleth. With me. In a way that no one else is.” 

“Then have me, in all the ways you want to.”

It was Edelgard who closed the distance first, her lips against Byleth’s, and the kiss could’ve marveled what fireworks were for that burst of feeling in Byleth’s chest was like blossoms of color amongst the night; warmth and emotion, almost like the heat of a flame, came over Byleth. She found herself breaking the kiss for a second to breathe before Edelgard’s lips were back on her own, and a fire shot into her fingertips from the base of her palm as Edelgard’s heartbeat jumped in pace—

Just for one second, as they broke apart to breathe once more, did Byleth hear Edelgard’s breathless gasp of her name, _ “Byleth—” _

And it was in that second that Byleth saw the sliver of _ something _ out of the corner of her eye.

Abruptly, the flame in her chest was snuffed out cold, for she saw _ it. _

A silver dagger hurling through the air, gleaming a cold chill white in the moonlight, its end pointed straight at Edelgard’s heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for everyone waiting LOL if ur still around THANKS FOR STICKIN AROUND i rly do wanna finish this fic and be able to say i finished a semi medium fic!! it'd be nice to say that lol
> 
> edit: omg i forgot to add god i love the thought of EDELGARD DANCING i watch dancing competition shows a lot and just EDELGARD DANCING WITH EVERYONE WOULD BE SO TASTY i almost wrote edelgard writing w/ all the beagles but i cut out a lot of them bc i just . didnt wanna write all of that. LMAO but in my mind she danced with all of them bc that'd be cute
> 
> the ending scene also would've gone a little bit different w/ some other dialogue i had in mind but i cut it for another scene so i hope this dialogue works out better lol


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